The 11th edition of the FIFA Arab Cup will commence on Monday in Qatar, featuring 16 nations from across the AFC and CAF in a 32-match tournament across six FIFA World Cup venues, culminating in the final on December 18.
According to a report from Al Jazeera, the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 is scheduled to kick off on Monday, December 1, in Qatar, marking the second successive FIFA tournament hosted by the Gulf nation.
Sixteen nations are participating, having been divided into four groups, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the knockout stages.
The final of the quadrennial tournament will be played on December 18.
The 32-match competition will be staged across six venues previously used during the FIFA World Cup three years ago.
The opening match, featuring Tunisia versus Syria, will be held at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, while the final will take place at the magnificent Lusail Stadium.
Hosts Qatar and defending champions Algeria automatically qualified alongside seven of the highest-ranked nations, while the remaining seven slots were determined through single-leg qualification matches.
Palestine secured an emotional spot on Tuesday by edging Libya 4-3 on penalties in a playoff in Doha.
Speaking after the victory, Palestine coach Ihab Abu Jazar said:
“We are different from other teams. They play to compete, but we play for two goals: to send messages through football and to develop Palestinian football.”
The 2025 edition features a record prize money of more than $36.5m, a significant increase from the $25.5m purse in 2021.