The Arab world’s biggest soccer tournament begins on Monday, with 16 teams from across the region competing in Qatar.
Here’s what you need to know about this tournament, which is held every four years.
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What are the important dates?
The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 begins on Monday, with Tunisia facing Syria in the opening match of the tournament.
The final will be held on December 18th, concluding the 32-game tournament.
Group stage: December 1st to 9th Quarterfinals: December 11th and 12th Semifinals: December 15th Third place match: December 18th Finals: December 18th
Where will the competition be held?
This will be the third time that Qatar will host the Arab Cup. We held tournaments in 1998 and 2021. It is also the second consecutive FIFA tournament hosted by a Gulf country, following the recently concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Six venues were chosen to host the regional show, all of which were used during the FIFA World Cup three years ago.
As in Qatar 2022, the opening match of the tournament will be held at Arbayt Stadium in the northern city of Al Khor, with the final match being held at the magnificent Lusail Stadium.
The 2025 Arab Cup will be held for the second time under the jurisdiction of FIFA, with previous editions in 2021 being hosted by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA).
The host cities and stadiums are:
⚽Lusail City: Lusail Stadium (capacity: 88,966 people)
⚽ Al Rayyan: Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium (capacity: 45,032 people)
⚽ 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 people)
How many teams are participating?
The tournament will feature 16 countries selected from both the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Host country Qatar and defending champion Algeria, along with the top seven countries at the time of the draw in May, automatically qualified.
The remaining seven spots were filled through a series of single-leg qualifying matches held in Qatar this week.
Participating countries are divided into four groups:
⚽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?
On Tuesday, Palestine defeated Libya 4-3 in a penalty shootout to secure a spot in the Arab Cup and bring joy to the Palestinians in the wake of Israel’s war in Gaza.
The play-off in Doha ended 0-0 after 90 minutes, with Palestine showing their determination in the penalty shootout to advance to the 16-team tournament.
“It was the toughest match of the playoffs,” coach Ihab Abu Jazar told Al Qas TV. “Libya is strong. Our situation and absence made it even more difficult, but we are proud. Football is one of the few things that brings happiness to Palestinians.”
“We are different from other teams. They play to compete, but we play for two goals: to convey a message through football and to develop Palestinian football. Our team became famous in Asia and was close to making the World Cup playoffs.”
“We are playing more than for the trophy. We are playing to send a message and bring joy to the people,” he added.
How much is the Arab Cup prize money?
The 2025 tournament will have a record total prize pool of over $36.5 million, making it one of the world’s major international soccer tournaments.
The previous tournament in 2021 had a reported total prize pool of $25.5 million.
What is the tournament format?
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stage, where the quarterfinals, semifinals and final will be held. A match for third place will also be held between the two teams that lost in the semi-finals.
In the knockout stage, if the match is tied at the end of regular match time, 30 minutes of extra time will be played and penalties will be assessed if necessary.
Who is the previous champion?
Iraq is the most successful team in the Arab Cup, having won four titles. Saudi Arabia is the second most successful country with two titles, while Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria have each won once.
Algeria defeated Tunisia 2-0 in extra time in the 2021 final to become the defending champions.
Historically, member countries of the Asian Football Confederation (six titles) have won more than teams from the Confederation of African Football (four titles).
Why is the Arab Cup important?
Featuring some of the strongest teams, the Arab Cup will give fans a taste of what to expect from Arab countries at next year’s FIFA World Cup.
The seven countries participating in the Arab Cup (Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Algeria) will also participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“This tournament plays an important role in introducing Arab and Islamic culture to the world,” said Algeria forward Baghdad Bounedjah. “This is a celebration of our identity and an opportunity to showcase our shared passion for the beautiful game on such a global scale.”
The number of participating teams in the renewed World Cup is expected to expand to 48, and the Arab Cup could serve as a testing ground for teams aiming to advance to the top on soccer’s biggest stage.
Who is the winner?
Based on their recent performances during the 2026 World Cup qualification stage, up to five teams could be considered the favorites for the title.
At the top of the list is Tunisia, who earned the most points (28 out of 30) of any CAF member country during the World Cup qualification and finished first in their group with nine wins out of 10 matches.
Fellow North African neighbors Algeria and Morocco have both topped their groups and qualified for the World Cup, making them strong contenders. Egypt, which has won a record seven times as African champions, is also one of the favorites.
Jordan, who qualified for the World Cup for the first time, is an underdog pick to win it all.
Who are the top players to watch?
Jordan’s Ali Orwan is the third highest scorer in the AFC World Cup qualifiers with nine goals and will be a player to watch in this tournament. Joining him on the list of forwards expected to pose a serious threat is Iraq’s Aymen Hussein, who is tied for fourth with eight goals.
Fans should also keep an eye out for Tunisia’s reliable goalkeeper Aymen Damen. Tunisia were undefeated in all 10 qualifying matches, with no conceded goals, and achieved six clean sheets.
Forward Akram Afif, who has become synonymous with Qatar’s football success over the past decade, is a key player for the hosts, while Saudi captain Salem Al Dausari has been in good form of late, ranking tied for fourth among the top assisters in the Saudi Professional League.
Where can I buy tickets and watch the tournament?
Tickets for the FIFA Arab Cup went on sale on the official ticketing platform at the end of September. Fans can purchase tickets for individual games in three price categories starting at $7.
The tournament also had the option of team-specific packs, offering three group games for each country starting at around $20. However, they are currently unavailable.
Tickets for the finals (starting at $14) were sold out.
In the Middle East and North Africa, you can watch the entire tournament in Arabic exclusively on beIN SPORTS PPV from December 1st to December 18th.
