The extraordinary general assembly meeting of the Saudi Football Federation, which was held "remotely" on Wednesday afternoon and lasted for about an hour, saw members approve by vote a package of proposed regulatory amendments, in a step that represents a fundamental pillar for organizing the legislative house of Saudi football following the resignation of the federation president, Yasser Al-Mishal.
Al-Mishal opened the meeting by offering an official apology for the disappointing results of the national team in the 2026 World Cup finals, reviewing the most prominent milestones and achievements accomplished during his presidency, before moving on to the voting items, officially announcing that his board would not continue and that tasks would be handed over to the new president by the end of next August.
Heated discussion and a "mute" crisis
The meeting was not without excitement; the virtual hall witnessed a heated discussion between Yasser Al-Mishal and Suleiman Al-Hatlan, vice president of Al-Hilal Club, after the latter objected to activating the "mute" feature for members, demanding that they be given greater space to speak. Al-Mishal's response was decisive that this measure is legal and practiced in international and continental federations, affirming that each club has the right to vote against any item, provided that interventions are made available to everyone after the review of decisions is completed, which indeed took place in the final half-hour of the meeting.
Structural amendments and filling the legislative vacuum
The general assembly resulted in the resolution of fundamental amendments to the structure of the future board of directors, with the most prominent decisions as follows:
Increasing board seats: Amending the definition of the electoral list to consist of 12 candidates (president, vice president, and 10 members) instead of 11 members as was previously followed.
Article 33 (transitional phase): Adding a legal paragraph stipulating that if the board of directors decides not to complete its legal term, the electoral process shall be activated immediately, with the current board handing over its duties to the new board according to the timeline approved by the elections committee, a step aimed at closing a legislative loophole related to cases of collective resignation.
Elections roadmap and committee chairmanship
In a related context, sources indicate a stable orientation toward assigning Ahmed Al-Qunaian (chairman of the appeals committee) to head the elections committee to manage the sensitive transitional phase, with another regulatory option allowing the chairman of the disciplinary committee, Bandar Al-Humaidani, to assume the task.
The electoral process is expected to take place within a period ranging from 6 to 8 weeks, placing the dates between August 19 and September 2 as the most prominent candidate dates for voting, so that the elected board officially assumes its duties before the start of the Gulf Cup competitions scheduled in Jeddah at the end of September.
It is worth noting that these moves come after Yasser Al-Mishal announced his resignation at the end of last month after 7 years in his position, taking full responsibility for the "Green" team's exit from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, after finishing at the bottom of Group Eight with two points from two draws against Uruguay and Cape Verde, and a 4-0 loss to Spain.
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