After the door closes: five candidates compete for the presidency of the Saudi Football Federation | Goal.com

Published on 01 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 1 minute

Nominations have officially closed for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation board elections, and the contest now enters its decisive stage. The names competing for the presidency are out, with the winner set to succeed the previous board headed by Yasser Al Misehal.

Al Misehal resigned after the Saudi national team's exit from the 2026 World Cup, ending his tenure at the helm of the federation. The procedures then began to elect a new board to lead Saudi football in the coming period.

According to the Saudi newspaper Al-Yaum, five candidates are battling to lead the federation, all against the backdrop of the boom Saudi football is enjoying at local, continental and international levels.

Running for the post are Khaled Al-Ghamdi, Badr Al-Ruzaiza, Hatem Khimi, Yahya Al-Sharif and Ahmed Al-Wadei. The elections committee is now reviewing their files and electoral lists before announcing the preliminary list of candidates and voters.

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Next, the committee will open the door for objections and appeals in line with the approved timetable. That paves the way for the general assembly that will choose the new president.

Interest across the Saudi sporting community is intense. The incoming president faces a heavy in-tray, most notably developing local competitions, supporting the national teams, and completing the project to advance Saudi football in line with the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.

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