2026/07/12 23:50

In football, fans may disagree about the coach, and the media may differ about the administrator, and opinions may divide after every loss or championship, but there is a truth that is hard to ignore: numbers don't know flattery, and history writes only what is achieved on the ground.

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With the announcement of the end of Yasser Al-Mishal's tenure as president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, the debate has reignited between supporters and opponents, a natural state in the sports community. But away from impressions and reactions, the most important question remains: what does the outcome of seven years of work say?

When we return to the language of numbers, we find that the Saudi national team qualified for the 2022 World Cup, then repeated the achievement by qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, giving the Green Falcons consecutive World Cup appearances for the first time since the 1994 and 1998 participations.

In the same period, the Olympic team won the AFC U-23 Asian Cup for the first time in its history, and returned to the Olympic Games after a long absence. The youth team also won the AFC U-17 Asian Cup and qualified for the World Cup, while Saudi football achieved a historic presence with all its age-group teams reaching World Cup finals.

Development was not limited to the national teams but extended to institutional work within the federation, through launching a comprehensive strategy for developing Saudi football, enhancing governance, focusing on talent, developing competitions, supporting women's football, along with upgrading the referee and coaching systems.

On the international front, Saudi football strengthened its presence in decision-making circles through Yasser Al-Mishal's membership in the FIFA Council and his chairmanship of the AFC Development Committee, along with the federation's role in supporting the Kingdom's bid to host the 2034 World Cup, a bid that was crowned with success.

Was the period free of mistakes? Certainly, no administrative experience reaches perfection, especially in football, which is often measured by the result of a match or a tournament. But fairness requires that seven years of work not be reduced to a moment of failure, nor should a series of achievements be erased because of an ending that did not meet aspirations.

Some may disagree with Yasser Al-Mishal's decisions, and others may agree with him, but what cannot be ignored is that his presidency witnessed achievements that will remain recorded in the history of Saudi football, and numbers will stand witness to them, no matter how opinions change.

And that is why I say today, away from emotion and close to the language of facts: I see you as white, Al-Mishal... because numbers were the witness, and history will continue to tell what was achieved, not what was said.

In conclusion, thank you, Yasser Al-Mishal, for seven years of work and dedication. Opinions may differ, but numbers and achievements will remain a testament to an important phase in the history of Saudi football. I ask God to grant you success in your future endeavors and to reward you for all you have given to the nation.

Abdullah bin Juma'a Al-Ghazal @aja5005