Saudi FA budget is secure as Yasser Al Misehal prepares to continue football work beyond presidency

Yasser Al Misehal says the Saudi Arabian Football Federation has an annual budget of almost one billion riyals and faces no immediate financial difficulties as he leaves the presidency after seven years.

Al Misehal also confirmed that Saudi Arabia’s performance at the 2026 World Cup was one of the main reasons behind his decision to step down. He had hoped the national team would improve on its showing at the 2022 World Cup, but concluded after the tournament that this objective had not been achieved.

“I always told myself that the 2026 World Cup had to surpass what was achieved in 2022,” he said at a news conference on Sunday, as reported by Asharq Al-Awsat. “After the World Cup ended, I found that the goal had not been achieved, so I preferred there to be new blood. The national team’s result at the World Cup was one of the main reasons for my departure.”

Badr Al-Ruzaiza has been endorsed as the new president, with Al Misehal saying the biggest challenge facing the incoming administration will be meeting expectations surrounding the senior national team.

“The biggest challenge is certainly that the sporting public focuses on the results of the first team,” he said. “When we started, the ranking was 70th, and today we are 58th and first in the Gulf.”

Al Misehal added that the improvement was not enough to satisfy the country’s ambitions.

“Our ambition is always at the highest levels,” he said, while expressing confidence that the new administration would work even harder. He also called on supporters to show patience and provide the federation with their backing.

No personal rivalry with successor

Al Misehal said Al-Ruzaiza contacted him when he began considering a presidential bid and insisted that he had not viewed the process as a personal contest.

“Brother Badr contacted me when he was thinking about running,” he said. “There was more than one candidate, and on the contrary, I encouraged and supported them because I hoped someone would come and continue this journey. That is how it should be within a sporting organisation.”

He denied giving the new board specific recommendations, saying that each administration should carry out its responsibilities in the appropriate way.

Al Misehal said the federation operates with an annual budget of about one billion riyals, with spending authorised and allocated on a monthly basis.

“The budget is approximately one billion riyals annually, and it is spent monthly and approved. We work according to a system, so there are no financial challenges, praise be to God, thanks to this generous support,” he said.

The federation’s financial statements are published every year and have not received any observations from its legal auditor, he added. The budget is approved and sufficient funds have been left available to cover upcoming commitments, meaning the previous administration is departing without leaving a financial shortfall.

According to Al Misehal, the federation’s financial stability reflects the support provided to Saudi sport by the country’s leadership, alongside contributions from the private sector.

He said he would remain involved in Saudi Arabian football after leaving office and that his relationship with the sport was not dependent on holding a formal position.

“I will continue serving football. A position does not bind me to it. I will continue my work and the committees in which I serve, and I will place seven years of experience at everyone’s service,” he said.

After Al-Ruzaiza’s endorsement was announced, Al Misehal sent a farewell message to the new administration, describing the previous seven years as a collective effort to serve Saudi sport. Any success achieved, he said, had resulted from the combined work of everyone involved.

Al Misehal also said the federation had developed an extensive international network, maintaining relationships with more than 200 football associations worldwide. Their records are updated regularly, including the names of association presidents and general secretaries.