After Morocco was selected as the official host of the 2025 African Cup of Nations and Saudi Arabia is set to organize the 2027 Asian Cup, Qatar seemingly doesn’t want to be left out as officials have just revealed the return of the Arab Cup on Qatari soil.
In a press conference held in Doha, HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, the Minister of Sport and Youth, revealed plans to bring the regional tournament back to the Gulf State soon. With most details of the forthcoming event still kept under wraps, the former president of the Qatar Football Association (QFA) suggested that the Gulf State was actively working on hosting the competition once again, only this time under a revised presentation and format.
“The tournament will be held next year, God willing, after completing some arrangements, indicating that the date, location, and hosting mechanism in the future will be announced soon,” Sheikh Hamad said. “I am not the person authorized to talk about this tournament officially, but the tournament will be held again,” he added.
In 2021, Qatar played host to the first edition of the Arab Cup in nearly 10-years to prepare for the then-upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Doha the following year. Serving as a prelude to one of the most respected and followed sporting events, the competition saw 16 countries face off against each other with Djamel Belmadi’s Algeria clinching the title and emerging victorious in a thrilling final against neighboring rivals Tunisia.
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As Qatar is currently playing host to the ongoing FIFA AFC Asian Cup which, according to Al-Thani, has exceeded all expectations in terms of attendance and ticket sales, the Gulf country finds itself at the forefront of hosting major international tournaments and blowing life back into one of the most exciting sporting competitions the region has to offer.
For reference, the FIFA Arab Cup, which was first launched in 1963 in Lebanon, has historically never been able to follow a consistent calendar or rotation. Held every two or three years with lengthy periods of pause, one can only expect Qatar’s eager commitment to revive the competition on a more regular basis to inject renewed energy into the storied tournament.
