FIFA Arab Cup
Organising body | UAFA FIFA (from 2021) |
---|---|
Founded | 1963 |
Region | Arab world |
Number of teams | 16 (finals) |
Current champions | Algeria (1st title) |
Most successful team(s) | Iraq (4 titles) |
Website | fifa.com/arabcup |
2025 FIFA Arab Cup |
Tournaments |
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The FIFA Arab Cup (Arabic: كأس العرب, romanized: Kaʾs al-ʿArab), or simply Arab Cup, is an international association football competition which has been organized by FIFA since 2021, and is contested by the senior men's national teams of the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA), the sport's governing body for countries in the Arab world.[1] The current champion is Algeria, which won its first title at the 2021 tournament in Qatar.
The championship's inaugural edition was in 1963, held in Lebanon, which was won by Tunisia. After having been played in 1964 and 1966, the Arab Cup was halted for almost 20 years, before being contested in 1985. The tournament was played five more times until 2012, the last competition organized by the UAFA. The 2021 edition was the first organized by FIFA.
The ten Arab Cup tournaments have been won by six national teams. Iraq have won four times; the other Arab Cup winners are Saudi Arabia, with two titles; Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and inaugural winner Tunisia, with one title each.
Seven countries have hosted the Arab Cup. Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have each hosted twice, while Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Syria have each hosted once. All Arab Cups have been held in Asia.
History
The initial idea for the conception of an Arab Cup came in 1957 from Lebanese journalist Nassif Majdalani and the Secretary General of the Lebanese Football Association (LFA) Izzat Al Turk.[2][3] In 1962, the LFA called for the formal establishment of the tournament through their president Georges Dabbas, who organised a general Arab assembly for the formation of the Arab Cup.[4] The first Arab Cup was held in Beirut between April and May 1963, with the participation of five teams.[5]
During the 16-year hiatus between 1966 and 1982, the Arab Cup was de facto replaced by the Palestine Cup, which was held three times in the 1970s and then became a youth tournament after the return of the Arab Cup in the 1980s.[4][6] The 1992 Arab Cup was also organised as part of the 1992 Arab Games.[6]
The 2021 edition was the first edition to be organised by FIFA; the competition was renamed FIFA Arab Cup.[7][8] Following the 2021 final, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that FIFA would continue to oversee future editions.[9]
Results
- a.e.t.: after extra time
- p: after penalty shoot-out
- TBD: to be determined
- Notes
- ^ The 1992 edition organized as part of the 1992 Arab Games football tournament was also counted as a part of the Arab Cup.
- ^ No third place match was played.
Teams reaching the top four
Team | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | Semi final | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iraq | 4 (1964, 1966*, 1985, 1988) | — | 1 (2012) | — | — | 5 |
Saudi Arabia | 2 (1998, 2002) | 1 (1992) | 1 (1985*) | 1 (2012*) | — | 5 |
Tunisia | 1 (1963) | 1 (2021) | — | — | — | 2 |
Egypt | 1 (1992) | — | 1 (1988) | 1 (2021) | — | 3 |
Morocco | 1 (2012) | — | — | — | 1 (2002)[a] | 2 |
Algeria | 1 (2021) | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Syria | — | 3 (1963, 1966, 1988) | — | 1 (1992*) | — | 4 |
Libya | — | 2 (1964, 2012) | 1 (1966) | — | — | 3 |
Bahrain | — | 2 (1985, 2002) | — | — | — | 2 |
Qatar | — | 1 (1998*) | 1 (2021*) | 1 (1985) | — | 3 |
Kuwait | — | — | 3 (1964*, 1992, 1998) | 1 (1963) | — | 4 |
Lebanon | — | — | 1 (1963*) | 2 (1964, 1966) | — | 3 |
Jordan | — | — | — | 1 (1988*) | 1 (2002)[a] | 2 |
United Arab Emirates | — | — | — | 1 (1998) | — | 1 |
- * hosts
Best performances by confederations
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Records and statistics
Comprehensive team results by tournament
- Legend
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For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament are shown (in parentheses).
Team | 1963 (5) |
1964 (5) |
1966 (10) |
1985 (6) |
1988 (10) |
1992 (6) |
1998 (12) |
2002 (10) |
2012 (11) |
2021 (16) |
Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Algeria | × | × | × | × | GS | × | GS | × | × | 1st | 3 |
Bahrain | × | × | GS | 2nd | GS | × | × | 2nd | GS | GS | 6 |
Egypt | × | × | × | × | 3rd | 1st | GS | × | GS | 4th | 5 |
Iraq | × | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | × | × | × | 3rd | GS | 6 |
Jordan | GS | GS | GS | GS | 4th | GS | GS | SF | × | QF | 9 |
Kuwait | 4th | 3rd | GS | × | GS | 3rd | 3rd | GS | GS | • | 8 |
Lebanon | 3rd | 4th | 4th | × | GS | × | GS | GS | GS | GS | 8 |
Libya | × | 2nd | 3rd | × | × | × | GS | × | 2nd | • | 4 |
Mauritania | × | × | × | GS | • | × | × | × | × | GS | 2 |
Morocco | × | × | × | × | × | × | GS | SF | 1st | QF | 4 |
Oman | × | × | GS | × | × | × | × | × | × | QF | 2 |
Palestine | × | × | GS | × | × | GS | • | GS | GS | GS | 5 |
Qatar | × | × | × | 4th | × | × | 2nd | × | × | 3rd | 3 |
Saudi Arabia | × | × | × | 3rd | GS | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 4th | GS | 7 |
Sudan | × | × | × | • | × | × | GS | GS | GS | GS | 4 |
Syria | 2nd | × | 2nd | × | 2nd | 4th | GS | GS | × | GS | 7 |
Tunisia | 1st | × | × | × | GS | × | × | × | × | 2nd | 3 |
United Arab Emirates | × | × | × | × | × | × | 4th | × | × | QF | 2 |
Yemen | × | × | GS | × | × | × | × | GS | GS | • | 3 |
Team | 1963 (5) |
1964 (5) |
1966 (10) |
1985 (6) |
1988 (10) |
1992 (6) |
1998 (12) |
2002 (10) |
2012 (11) |
2021 (16) |
Total |
See also
Notes
References
- ^ نتائج اجتماع الجمعية العمومية غير العادي واجتماع اللجنة التنفيذية للاتحاد العربي لكرة القدم [The results of the General Meeting of UAFA's Executive Committee]. UAFA (in Arabic). 20 December 2017. Archived from the original on 26 December 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ "قبل انطلاقها.. ماذا يخبرنا التاريخ عن بطولة "كأس العرب"؟". Sky News Arabia. Saber Hussam-Eddin. 28 November 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ "كأس العرب: لبنان موطن الفكرة لم يحقق أي انجاز". france24. 28 November 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ a b موسوعة كرة القدم العراقية من الالف الى الياء ... بطولة كأس العرب [Encyclopedia of Iraqi football from A to Z ... Arab Cup Championship]. Kooora.com (in Arabic). 18 September 2005. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ Morrison, Neil. "Arab Cup 1963 Details". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ a b Abboud, John; Nygård, Jostein; Qayed, Mohammed. "Arab Cup". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ "الاتحاد العربي" يعلن عن مسابقاته للموسم القادم [The "Arab Union" announces its competitions for the next season]. UAFA (in Arabic). 25 April 2021. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ "FIFA Arab Cup 2021 – Teams – Lebanon". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ "Gianni Infantino: FIFA Arab Cup set to continue". FIFA.com. 18 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ "UAFA : 44 millions dollars pour la relance des compétitions". ES Tunis media site. TAP. 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
External links
- Official website
- Arab Cup at the RSSSF
- FIFA Arab Cup
- FIFA competitions for national teams
- Union of Arab Football Associations competitions
- International association football competitions in Africa
- International association football competitions in Asia
- International association football competitions in the Middle East
- Recurring sporting events established in 1963