Arjun Menon
The 11th FIFA Arab Cup kicks off in Doha on 1 December 2025, as Qatar prepares to host the region’s flagship national-team competition for the second consecutive edition. The opening day features Tunisia vs Syria and hosts Qatar taking on Palestine in front of a packed crowd at Al Bayt Stadium. The final will be played on 18 December at the iconic Lusail Stadium, the 89,000-seat venue that staged the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
The 16 participating teams have been drawn into four balanced groups, with all matches played across six state-of-the-art stadiums used during Qatar 2022. The group stage runs until 9 December, before the knockout rounds begin on 11 December.
Final List of Teams
The field is composed of nine automatic qualifiers—based on FIFA rankings—and seven playoff winners who booked their place through a tense qualifying phase.
Automatic Qualifiers
- Qatar (hosts)
- Tunisia
- Morocco
- Saudi Arabia
- Egypt
- Jordan
- United Arab Emirates
- Algeria
- Iraq
Qualified via Playoffs
- Kuwait – beat Mauritania 2–0
- Palestine – beat Libya on penalties (0–0, 4–3)
- Syria – beat South Sudan 2–0
- Bahrain – beat Djibouti 1–0
- Oman – beat Somalia on penalties (1–1, 4–1)
- Comoros – beat Yemen on penalties (1–1, 4–2)
- Sudan – beat Lebanon 2–1
Official Groups for FIFA Arab Cup 2025
- Group A: Qatar, Tunisia, Syria, Palestine
- Group B: Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Comoros
- Group C: Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Kuwait
- Group D: Algeria, Iraq, Bahrain, Sudan
The top two teams in each group advance to the knockout rounds, which include the quarter-finals, semi-finals, a third-place match, and the final.
Tournament Format
The group stage follows a single round-robin format. Teams earn three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss.
Knockout-Stage Rules
If a match is tied after 90 minutes:
- Extra time (30 minutes) is played
- Penalty shoot-out follows if scores remain level
Match Schedule: Group Stage
All timings in AST (GMT+3)
1 December — Group A
16:00, Ahmad bin Ali — Tunisia vs Syria
19:30, Al Bayt — Qatar vs Palestine
2 December — Groups B & C
Group B
15:00, Khalifa — Morocco vs Comoros
20:00, Education City — Saudi Arabia vs Oman
Group C
17:30, Lusail — Egypt vs Kuwait
3 December — Groups C & D
15:00, Ahmad bin Ali — Algeria vs Sudan
17:30, Stadium 974 — Iraq vs Bahrain
20:00, Al Bayt — Jordan vs UAE
4 December — Group A
17:30, Lusail — Palestine vs Tunisia
20:00, Khalifa — Syria vs Qatar
5 December — Group B
17:30, Education City — Oman vs Morocco
20:00, Al Bayt — Comoros vs Saudi Arabia
6 December — Groups C & D
14:00, Ahmad bin Ali — Kuwait vs Jordan
16:30, Khalifa — Bahrain vs Algeria
19:00, Stadium 974 — Sudan vs Iraq
21:30, Lusail — UAE vs Egypt
7 December — Group A
20:00, Al Bayt — Qatar vs Tunisia
20:00, Education City — Syria vs Palestine
8 December — Group B
20:00, Lusail — Morocco vs Saudi Arabia
20:00, Stadium 974 — Oman vs Comoros
9 December — Groups C & D
17:30, Al Bayt — Egypt vs Jordan
17:30, Stadium 974 — UAE vs Kuwait
20:00, Khalifa — Algeria vs Iraq
20:00, Education City — Bahrain vs Sudan
10 December — Rest day
Knockout Stage
Quarter-Finals — 11 & 12 December
11 December — Khalifa (17:30), Lusail (20:30)
12 December — Education City (17:30), Al Bayt (20:30)
Semi-Finals — 15 December
Khalifa (17:30), Al Bayt (20:30)
Third-Place Playoff — 18 December
14:00, Khalifa Stadium
Final — 18 December
19:00, Lusail Stadium
Host Nation & Tournament Context
Qatar hosts the Arab Cup for the second consecutive time after staging the 2021 edition, where Algeria defeated Tunisia 2–0 in a dramatic extra-time final. This year’s competition features seven teams already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, highlighting the rising standard across the region.
The 2025 edition promises a blend of elite competition, cultural pride, and world-class organisation—further reinforcing Qatar’s status as a leading destination for major football tournaments.