26th Arabian Gulf Cup

26th Arabian Gulf Cupكأس الخليج العربي 26

Tournament details
Host country| Kuwait
Dates| 21 December 2024 – 3 January 2025[1]
Teams| 8 (from 1 confederation)

<- 2023

International football competition

The 26th Arabian Gulf Cup, known as Khaleeji Zain 26 for sponsorship reasons, will be the 26th edition of the biennial football competition for the eight members of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation. The tournament will be held in Kuwait from 21 December 2024 to 3 January 2025.[2][3]

## Teams

[edit]

Team  | Appearance  | Previous best
performance  | FIFA Rankings

|
|
|

November 2024
Qatar | 26th | Winners (1992, 2004, 2014) | 48
Iraq (holders) | 17th | Winners (1979, 1984, 1988, 2023) | 56
Saudi Arabia | 25th | Winners (1994, 2002, 2003–04) | 59
United Arab Emirates | 25th | Winners (2007, 2013) | 63
Bahrain | 26th | Winners (2019) | 81
Oman | 24th | Winners (2009, 2017–18) | 80
Kuwait (hosts) | 26th | Winners (1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2010) | 134
Yemen | 11th | Group stage (2003–04, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017–18, 2019, 2023) | 157

### Draw

[edit]

The draw was held on 9 November 2024 at 19:00 UTC+3 in Kuwait City .The eight teams were drawn into two groups of four, by selecting one team from each of the four ranked pots. Their positions were based on the FIFA ranking updated on 24 October.

Pot 1  | Pot 2  | Pot 3  | Pot 4

|
|
|

* Kuwait (hosts)
* Iraq (title holders)

* Qatar (46)
* Saudi Arabia (59)

* United Arab Emirates (68)
* Bahrain (76)

* Oman (80)
* Yemen (154)

### Squads

[edit]

Main article: 26th Arabian Gulf Cup squads

Each team had to register a squad of 26 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers.

## Venues

[edit]

75km
50miles

Location of areas hosting the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup

Ardhiya

Sulaibikhat

Kuwait City

Ardhiya | Sulaibikhat
Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium | Sulaibikhat Stadium
Capacity: 60,000 | Capacity: 15,000 (new)

## Group stage

[edit]

Tiebreakers

The ranking of teams in the group stage was determined as follows:

1. Points obtained in all group matches:

* Win: 3 points;
* Draw: 1 point;
* Loss: 0 points;

2. Goal difference in all group matches;
3. Number of goals scored in all group matches.

All times are local (UTC+03:00).

### Group A

[edit]

Main article: 26th Arabian Gulf Cup Group A

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  United Arab Emirates | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | Knockout stage
2  |  Oman | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
3  |  Kuwait (H) | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  |
4  |  Qatar | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0

First match(es) will be played: 2024. Source: AGCFF
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts

21 December 2024 (2024-12-21)

20:00

Kuwait | v|  Oman

|
|

|  |

Jaber International Stadium, Kuwait City

21 December 2024 (2024-12-21)

22:30

United Arab Emirates | v|  Qatar

|
|

|  |

Sulaibikhat Stadium, Sulaibikhat

* * *

24 December 2024 (2024-12-24)

17:25

Oman | v|  Qatar

|
|

|  |

Sulaibikhat Stadium, Sulaibikhat

24 December 2024 (2024-12-24)

20:30

United Arab Emirates | v|  Kuwait

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|

|  |

Jaber International Stadium, Kuwait City

* * *

27 December 2024 (2024-12-27)

17:30

Kuwait | v|  Qatar

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|

|  |

Jaber International Stadium, Kuwait City

27 December 2024 (2024-12-27)

17:30

United Arab Emirates | v|  Oman

|
|

|  |

Sulaibikhat Stadium, Sulaibikhat

### Group B

[edit]

Main article: 26th Arabian Gulf Cup Group B

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Saudi Arabia | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | Knockout stage
2  |  Bahrain | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
3  |  Iraq | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  |
4  |  Yemen | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0

First match(es) will be played: 2024. Source: AGCFF
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

22 December 2024 (2024-12-22)

17:25

Iraq | v|  Yemen

|
|

|  |

Sulaibikhat Stadium, Sulaibikhat

22 December 2024 (2024-12-22)

20:30

Saudi Arabia | v|  Bahrain

|
|

|  |

Jaber International Stadium, Kuwait City

* * *

25 December 2024 (2024-12-25)

20:30

Bahrain | v|  Iraq

|
|

|  |

Jaber International Stadium, Kuwait City

25 December 2024 (2024-12-25)

17:25

Saudi Arabia | v|  Yemen

|
|

|  |

Sulaibikhat Stadium, Sulaibikhat

* * *

28 December 2024 (2024-12-28)

17:30

Saudi Arabia | v|  Iraq

|
|

|  |

Jaber International Stadium, Kuwait City

28 December 2024 (2024-12-28)

17:30

Bahrain | v|  Yemen

|
|

|  |

Sulaibikhat Stadium, Sulaibikhat

## Knockout stage

[edit]

Main article: 26th Arabian Gulf Cup knockout stage

In the knockout stage, extra time and penalty shoot-out are used to decide the winner if necessary.

### Bracket

[edit]

| Semi-finals| | Final

|
|
|

|  |  |  |  |  |

| 31 December 2024 – | |

| Winner Group A|

| 3 January 2025 –

| Runner-up Group B| |

| Winner Semi-final 1|

| 31 December 2024 –

| | Winner Semi-final 2|

| Winner Group B|

| Runner-up Group A| |

### Semi-finals

[edit]

31 December 2024 (2024-12-31)

17:30

Winner Group A| Semi-final 1| Runner-up Group B

|
|

|  |

* * *

31 December 2024 (2024-12-31)

20:45

Winner Group B| Semi-final 2| Runner-up Group A

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|

|  |

### Final

[edit]

3 January 2025 (2025-01-03)

Winner Semi-final 1| v| Winner Semi-final 2

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|

|  |

Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium

## Prize money and awards

[edit]

### Prize money

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Position  | Amount (USD)

|

Champions  | 1,000,000
Runner-up  | 750,000
Total  | 1,750,000

## Broadcasters

[edit]

Middle East

Territory  | Broadcaster  | Ref.

|
|

Bahrain | Bahrain Sport |
Iraq | Al Iraqiya Sports
Alrabiaa Sports |
Kuwait | KTV Sports |
Oman | Oman Sports |
Qatar | Alkass |
Saudi Arabia | SSC |
United Arab Emirates | AD Sports
Dubai Sports |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "كونا : الاتحاد الخليجي لكرة القدم يقرر انطلاق (خليجي 26) في 21 ديسمبر المقبل" (in Arabic). KUNA. 2 April 2024.
2. ^ "Kuwait to host 26th Gulf Cup". Iraqi News. 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
3. ^ "خليجي 26 سيقام في الكويت نهاية عام 2024". beIN SPORTS (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-01-15.

* v
* t
* e

Arabian Gulf Cup

Tournaments|

* Bahrain 1970
* Saudi Arabia 1972
* Kuwait 1974
* Qatar 1976
* Iraq 1979
* United Arab Emirates 1982
* Oman 1984
* Bahrain 1986
* Saudi Arabia 1988
* Kuwait 1990
* Qatar 1992
* United Arab Emirates 1994
* Oman 1996
* Bahrain 1998
* Saudi Arabia 2002
* Kuwait 2003–04
* Qatar 2004
* United Arab Emirates 2007
* Oman 2009
* Yemen 2010
* Bahrain 2013
* Saudi Arabia 2014
* Kuwait 2017–18
* Qatar 2019
* Iraq 2023
* Kuwait 2024–25

Finals|

* 1970
* 1972
* 1974
* 1976
* 1979
* 1982
* 1984
* 1986
* 1988
* 1990
* 1992
* 1994
* 1996
* 1998
* 2002
* 2003–04
* 2004
* 2007
* 2009
* 2010
* 2013
* 2014
* 2017–18
* 2019
* 2023
* 2024–25

Squads|

* 1970
* 1972
* 1974
* 1976
* 1979
* 1982
* 1984
* 1986
* 1988
* 1990
* 1992
* 1994
* 1996
* 1998
* 2002
* 2003–04
* 2004
* 2007
* 2009
* 2010
* 2013
* 2014
* 2017–18
* 2019
* 2023
* 2024–25

Category:Arabian Gulf Cup
*[Pos]: Position
*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals against
*[GD]: Goal difference
*[Pts]: Points
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template