Arjun Menon
The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 returns to Qatar from 1–18 December, bringing together 16 national teams from across the Arab world for the tournament’s 11th edition. This year’s competition, played across six World Cup 2022 stadiums, promises world-class football, massive fan turnout, and a packed match calendar leading up to the final at the iconic Lusail Stadium.
Host Cities & Venues
Six stadiums – each used during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – will again serve as the stage for the region’s premier national-team tournament:
- Al Bayt Stadium (Al Khor) – Tournament opener
- Lusail Stadium (Lusail) – 18 December final
- Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium (Al Rayyan)
- Education City Stadium (Al Rayyan)
- Khalifa International Stadium (Al Rayyan)
- Stadium 974 (Doha)
These venues guarantee seamless accessibility, strong crowd capacity, and a stadium atmosphere on par with past World Cup and Asian Cup events.
Tournament Format
The nine automatic qualifiers – based on FIFA rankings – were joined by seven qualification winners at the draw held in Doha on 25 May. The 16 finalists were divided into four groups of four. The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals.
Official Groups
- Group A: Qatar, Tunisia, Syrian Arab Republic, Palestine
- Group B: Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Comoros
- Group C: Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait
- Group D: Algeria, Iraq, Bahrain, Sudan
Group-Stage Tiebreakers
If teams finish level on points, FIFA’s competition regulations apply in the following order:
Step 1 – Head-to-Head Criteria
- Points in matches between tied teams
- Goal difference in matches between tied teams
- Goals scored in matches between tied teams
Step 2 – Group-Wide Criteria
- Goal difference in all group matches
- Goals scored in all group matches
- Team disciplinary score (fair play points)
If still equal:
- FIFA World Ranking comparison – latest edition
- If still equal, the edition before that, and so on
Extra Time & Penalties
Qualification Stage: If tied after 90 minutes → direct penalty shoot-out.
Knockout Stage: If tied after 90 minutes → extra time → penalties if required.
Full 2025 FIFA Arab Cup Schedule
All match times are local (AST, GMT+3)
Group Stage: 1–9 December
Monday 1 December – Group A
16:00, Al-Rayyan – Tunisia vs Syrian Arab Republic
19:30, Al Khor – Qatar vs Palestine
Tuesday 2 December – Groups B & C
Group B
15:00, Al-Rayyan – Morocco vs Comoros
20:00, Al-Rayyan – Saudi Arabia vs Oman
Group C
17:30, Lusail – Egypt vs Kuwait
Wednesday 3 December
Group C
20:00, Al Khor – Jordan vs UAE
Group D
15:00, Al-Rayyan – Algeria vs Sudan
17:30, Doha – Iraq vs Bahrain
Thursday 4 December – Group A
17:30, Lusail – Palestine vs Tunisia
20:00, Al-Rayyan – Syrian Arab Republic vs Qatar
Friday 5 December – Group B
17:30, Al-Rayyan – Oman vs Morocco
21:30, Al Khor – Comoros vs Saudi Arabia
Saturday 6 December – Groups C & D
Group C
14:00, Al-Rayyan – Kuwait vs Jordan
21:30, Lusail – UAE vs Egypt
Group D
16:30, Al-Rayyan – Bahrain vs Algeria
19:00, Doha – Sudan vs Iraq
Sunday 7 December – Group A
20:00, Al Khor – Qatar vs Tunisia
20:00, Al-Rayyan – Syrian Arab Republic vs Palestine
Monday 8 December – Group B
20:00, Lusail – Morocco vs Saudi Arabia
20:00, Doha – Oman vs Comoros
Tuesday 9 December – Groups C & D
Group C
17:30, Al Khor – Egypt vs Jordan
17:30, Doha – UAE vs Kuwait
Group D
20:00, Al-Rayyan (Khalifa) – Algeria vs Iraq
20:00, Al-Rayyan (Education City) – Bahrain vs Sudan
Knockout Stage Schedule
Quarter-Finals – 11 & 12 December
Thursday 11 December
17:30, Al-Rayyan – Group B winners vs Group A runners-up
20:30, Lusail – Group A winners vs Group B runners-up
Friday 12 December
17:30, Al-Rayyan – Group C winners vs Group D runners-up
20:30, Al Khor – Group D winners vs Group C runners-up
Semi-Finals – Monday 15 December
17:30, Al-Rayyan – Semi-final 1
20:30, Al Khor – Semi-final 2
Match for Third Place – Thursday 18 December
14:00, Al-Rayyan – Semi-final losers
The Final – Thursday 18 December
19:00, Lusail Stadium
Semi-final winners compete for the Arab crown