Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament, which takes place every four years:
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What are the key dates?
The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 begins on Monday, with Tunisia facing Syria in the opening match of the tournament.
The final will be played on 18 December, concluding the 32-match tournament.
- group stage: 1 to 9 December
- quarter finals: 11 and 12 December
- Semifinals: 15th December
- Third-place playoff: 18th December
- Last: 18th December
Where is the tournament being held?
Qatar is hosting the Arab Cup for the third time; It hosted the 1998 and 2021 tournaments. This is the second consecutive FIFA tournament hosted by the Gulf country after the recently concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Six venues have been chosen to host the regional showpiece, each of which was used during the FIFA World Cup three years ago.
As was the case during Qatar 2022, Al Bayt Stadium in the northern city of Al Khor will host the tournament opener, while the spectacular Lusail Stadium will host the final.
The 2025 Arab Cup will be the second edition under the jurisdiction of FIFA, with previous editions before 2021 being organized by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAE).
Here are the host cities and stadiums:
Lusail City: Lusail Stadium (Capacity: 88,966)
Al Rayyan: Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium (Capacity: 45,032)
Al Khor: Al Bayt Stadium (Capacity: 68,895)
Couplet: Stadium 974 (Capacity: 44,089)
Shiksha Nagar: Education City Stadium (Capacity: 44,667)
Couplet: Khalifa International Stadium (Capacity: 45,857)
How many teams are participating?
Sixteen nations from both the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will play in the tournament.
Hosts Qatar and defending champions Algeria, along with the seven highest-ranked nations at the time of the draw in May, all qualified automatically.
The remaining seven slots were filled through a series of single-leg qualification matches held in Qatar this week.
The participating countries are 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 the Arab Cup?
Palestine secured their place in the Arab Cup by beating Libya 4-3 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday, sending a wave of joy among Palestinians in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza.
The playoff in Doha finished 0–0 after 90 minutes, before Palestine held on in the shootout to reach the 16-team tournament.
“It was the toughest playoff match,” coach Ihab Abu Jazzar told Al Qas TV. “Libya is strong. Our circumstances and absence have made it difficult, but we are proud. Football is one of the few things that can bring happiness to Palestinians.
“We are different from other teams. They play to compete, but we play for two goals: to send a message through football and to develop Palestinian football. Our team has become a big name in Asia and was close to reaching the World Cup playoffs.
He said, “We play for more than trophies – we play to send a message and bring joy to our people.”
What is the prize money of Arab Cup?
The 2025 edition will have a record prize fund of more than $36.5 million, joining the ranks of the world’s premier international football tournaments.
In the last contest, in 2021, the reported prize money was $25.5 million.
What is the format of the tournament?
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the knockout stage, which consists of quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final. There is also a third-place playoff between the two semi-finalists.
In the knockout stage, if a match is tied at the end of normal playing time, there will be 30 minutes of extra time and, if necessary, penalties.
Who are the previous champions?
Iraq is the most successful team in the Arab Cup with four titles. Saudi Arabia is the second most successful nation with two titles, while Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria have all won the title once each.
Algeria are the defending champions, having defeated Tunisia 2–0 in extra time in the 2021 final.
Historically, countries of the Asian Football Confederation (six titles) have won more than Confederation of African Football teams (four titles).
Why is the Arab Cup important?
With some of the strongest teams, the Arab Cup will give fans a taste of what to expect from the Arab countries at next year’s FIFA World Cup.
The seven Arab Cup participants – Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Algeria – will also compete at the FIFA World Cup 2026, co-hosted with the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“This tournament plays an important role in showcasing Arab and Islamic culture to the world,” Algeria striker Baghdad Bounedjah said. “It is a celebration of our identity and an opportunity to showcase our shared passion for this beautiful game on a global stage.”
With the revamped World Cup featuring an expanded 48-team pool, the Arab Cup could be a proving ground for teams aiming to make a deep run on football’s biggest stage.
Who are the strong contenders to win?
Based on their recent performances in the 2026 World Cup qualification stage, five teams can be considered frontrunners for the title.
At the top is Tunisia, who collected the most points (28 out of a possible 30) among all CAF countries during the World Cup qualifiers and topped their group after winning nine out of 10 matches.
Fellow North African neighbors Algeria and Morocco are favorites as they both qualified for the World Cup by topping their groups. Record seven-time African champion Egypt is also among the strong contenders.
Jordan, who qualified for the World Cup for the first time, is a weak choice to win it all.
Who are the top players to watch?
Jordan’s Ali Olwan, the third-highest scorer in AFC World Cup qualifying with nine goals, will be the target of attention in the tournament. Joining him on the list of forwards who are likely to pose a serious threat is Iraq’s Aymen Hussein, who was tied for the fourth-most goals with eight.
Fans should also keep an eye on Tunisia’s reliable goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen, who kept six clean sheets as his side remained unbeaten in all 10 of their qualifying matches without conceding a goal.
Forward Akram Afif, whose name has become synonymous with Qatar’s football success over the past decade, is a key player for the host nation, while Saudi Arabia captain Salem Al-Dawsari has been in good form of late, and is joint fourth among the Saudi Pro League’s top assist men.
Where to buy tickets and watch the tournament?
Tickets for the FIFA Arab Cup went on sale in late September on the official ticketing platform. Fans can purchase tickets for individual matches in three price ranges, starting at $7.
The tournament also had the option of team-specific packs, offering three group games for each nation, with prices starting at around $20. However, they are now unavailable.
Tickets for the final, which start at $14, are sold out.
In the Middle East and North Africa, you can watch the entire tournament from December 1 to December 18, exclusively in Arabic and only on beIN Sports PPV.
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