FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025: What you need to know
The final of the tournament will be played on December 18.
Following the historic success of the 2021 edition, FIFA has committed to
backing the tournament for the upcoming 2025, 2029, and 2033 editions, all of
which will be hosted in Doha.
Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament,
which takes place every four years:
How many teams are participating?
Sixteen nations, drawn from both the Asian Football
Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will play
in the 18-day tournament.
What are the key dates?
The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 will begin on Monday, with Tunisia facing Syria in
the tournament opener.
The final will be played on December 18, marking the conclusion of the
32-match tournament.
- Group stage: December 1 to
9
- Quarterfinals: December 11
and 12
- Semifinals: December 15
- Third-place playoff:
December 18
- Final: December 18
Where is the tournament being held?
Six venues have been chosen to host the regional showpiece, each of which
was used during the FIFA World Cup three years ago.
Hosts Qatar and defending champions Algeria, along with the seven
highest-ranked nations at the time of the draw in May, all qualified
automatically.
As was the case during Qatar 2022, Al Bayt Stadium, in
the northern city of Al Khor, will host the tournament opener, while the
magnificent Lusail Stadium will host the final.
The 2025 Arab Cup will be the second edition under FIFA’s jurisdiction, with
editions before 2021 organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations
(UAFA).
Here are the host cities and stadiums:
- Lusail City: Lusail Stadium (capacity: 88,966)
- Al Rayyan: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium (capacity: 45,032)
- Al Khor: Al Bayt Stadium (capacity: 68,895)
- Doha: Stadium 974 (capacity: 44,089)
- Education City: Education City Stadium (capacity: 44,667)
- Doha: Khalifa International Stadium (capacity: 45,857)
The remaining seven slots were filled through a series
of single-leg qualification matches held in Qatar this week.
The participating nations have been divided into four groups, as follows:
- Group A: Tunisia, Syria, Qatar, Palestine
- Group B: Morocco, Comoros, Saudi Arabia, Oman
- Group C: Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, United Arab Emirates
- Group D: Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Bahrain
How did Palestine qualify for
Arab Cup?
Palestine edged Libya 4-3 on penalties on Tuesday (Nov 25) to secure their
place in the Arab Cup, bringing joy to Palestinians in the wake of Israel’s war
on Gaza.
The playoff in Doha ended 0-0 after 90 minutes before Palestine held their
nerve in the shootout to reach the 16-team tournament.
What is the prize money for the Arab Cup?
The 2025 edition will have a record prize money of more than $36.5m, joining
the ranks of the world’s major international football tournaments.
The last competition, in 2021, had a reported prize purse of $25.5m.
What is the tournament format?
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the
knockout stage, which features the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.
There is also a third-place playoff between the two losing semifinalists.
In the knockout stages, if a match is level at the end
of normal playing time, it will go to 30 minutes of extra time and, if
required, penalties.
Who are the favourites to win?
Based on their recent performance in the 2026 World Cup qualification phase,
as many as five teams could be considered frontrunners for the title.
Up there is Tunisia, who gathered the most points (28 from a possible 30)
among all CAF nations during the World Cup qualifiers, winning nine of the 10
matches to finish top of their group.
Fellow North African neighbours Algeria and Morocco are strong contenders
after both qualified for the World Cup by finishing top of their groups. Record
seven-time African champions Egypt are also among the favourites.
Jordan, who qualified for the World Cup for the first time, are an underdog
pick to win it all.
Who are the top players to watch?
Jordan’s Ali Olwan, the third-highest scorer in the AFC World Cup qualifying
with nine goals, will be one to watch in the tournament. Joining him on the
list of forwards expected to pose a serious threat is Iraq’s Aymen Hussein, who
was tied for fourth-highest goals, with eight.
Fans should also keep an eye on Tunisia’s reliable goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen,
who kept six clean sheets as his side went unbeaten without conceding in all 10
of their qualifying fixtures.
Forward Akram Afif, whose name has become synonymous with Qatar’s
footballing success in the past decade, is a key player for the host nation,
while Saudi Arabia captain Salem Al-Dawsari has been in decent form of late,
sitting joint-fourth in the Saudi Pro League’s top assist men.
Who are the previous champions?
Iraq are the most successful team in the Arab Cup with four titles. Saudi
Arabia are the second-most successful nation with two titles, while Tunisia,
Egypt, Morocco and Algeria have all won once each.
Algeria are the defending champions, having beaten Tunisia 2-0 in extra time
at the 2021 final.
Where to buy tickets and watch the tournament?
Tickets for the FIFA Arab Cup went on sale on the official ticketingplatform at the end of September. Fans can buy tickets for individual
matches across three pricing categories, starting at $7.
Tickets for the final, starting at $14, have sold out.
In the Middle East and North Africa, you can watch the entire tournament
from December 1 through December 18, exclusively in Arabic and only on beIN SPORTS PPV.
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