FIFA Arab Cup facts for kids
![]() |
|
Organising body | UAFA (1985–2012) FIFA (2021–present) |
---|---|
Founded | 1963 |
Region | Arab world |
Number of teams | 16 (finals) |
Current champions | ![]() |
Most successful team(s) | ![]() |
The FIFA Arab Cup (also called the Arab Cup) is a big international football competition. It is organized by FIFA, the world's football governing body. This tournament brings together senior men's national teams from countries in the Arab world.
The Arab Cup happens every four years. The team that won the last tournament in 2021 was Algeria. They won their first title in Qatar.
The very first Arab Cup was held in 1963 in Lebanon. Tunisia won that first championship. After a few tournaments in the 1960s, the Arab Cup took a long break. It returned in 1985. The tournament was then played several more times until 2012. The 2021 edition was special because it was the first time FIFA organized it.
Six different national teams have won the ten Arab Cup tournaments so far. Iraq has won the most titles, with four victories. Saudi Arabia has won twice. Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia have each won one title. Seven countries have hosted the Arab Cup. Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have each hosted twice. Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria have each hosted once. All Arab Cups have been held in Asia.
Contents
History of the Arab Cup
The idea for the Arab Cup started in 1957. A journalist from Lebanon, Nassif Majdalani, and a football official, Izzat Al Turk, first thought of it. In 1962, the Lebanese Football Association (LFA) officially asked for the tournament to be created.
The first Arab Cup took place in Beirut, Lebanon, in April and May 1963. Five teams played in this first competition.
Between 1966 and 1982, the Arab Cup was not held. During this time, another tournament called the Palestine Cup was played instead. This cup was held three times in the 1970s. When the Arab Cup returned in the 1980s, the Palestine Cup became a youth tournament. The 1992 Arab Cup was also part of the 1992 Arab Games.
The 2021 tournament was the first one organized by FIFA. It was then renamed the FIFA Arab Cup. After the final match in 2021, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that FIFA would continue to organize future tournaments. On May 15, 2024, FIFA announced that Qatar will host the tournament in 2025, 2029, and 2033. The tournament will be an invitational event, meaning teams are invited to play.
Tournament Results
This table shows the winners and top teams from each Arab Cup tournament.
- Keys
- a.e.t.: after extra time (means extra time was played)
- p: penalty shoot-out (means the winner was decided by penalties)
- awd: awarded result (the result was given, not played)
- TBD: to be determined (not decided yet)
Ed. | Year | Host | First place game | Third place game | Teams | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Score | ![]() |
![]() |
Score | Fourth place | ||||||
Arab Cup | |||||||||||
1 | 1963 | ![]() |
![]() Tunisia |
![]() Syria |
[[File:{{{flag alias-1943}}}|30x27px|border |alt=|link=]] Lebanon |
![]() Kuwait |
5 | ||||
2 | 1964 | ![]() |
![]() Iraq |
![]() Libya |
![]() Kuwait |
[[File:{{{flag alias-1943}}}|30x27px|border |alt=|link=]] Lebanon |
5 | ||||
3 | 1966 | ![]() |
![]() Iraq |
2–1 | ![]() Syria |
![]() Libya |
6–1 | [[File:{{{flag alias-1943}}}|30x27px|border |alt=|link=]] Lebanon |
10 | ||
4 | 1985 | ![]() |
![]() Iraq |
1–0 | ![]() Bahrain |
![]() Saudi Arabia |
0–0 (aet) (4–1 p) |
![]() Qatar |
6 | ||
5 | 1988 | ![]() |
![]() Iraq |
1–1 (aet) (4–3 p) |
[[File:{{{flag alias-1980}}}|30x27px|border |alt=|link=]] Syria |
![]() Egypt |
2–0 | ![]() Jordan |
10 | ||
6 | 1992 | ![]() |
![]() Egypt |
3–2 | ![]() Saudi Arabia |
![]() Kuwait |
2–1 | [[File:{{{flag alias-1980}}}|30x27px|border |alt=|link=]] Syria |
6 | ||
7 | 1998 | ![]() |
![]() Saudi Arabia |
3–1 | ![]() Qatar |
![]() Kuwait |
4–1 | ![]() United Arab Emirates |
12 | ||
8 | 2002 | ![]() |
![]() Saudi Arabia |
1–0 (aet) | ![]() Bahrain |
![]() ![]() |
10 | ||||
– | 2009 | Edition cancelled during qualification due to lack of sponsorship | |||||||||
9 | 2012 | ![]() |
![]() Morocco |
1–1 (aet) (3–1 p) |
![]() Libya |
![]() Iraq |
1–0 | ![]() Saudi Arabia |
11 | ||
FIFA Arab Cup | |||||||||||
10 | 2021 | ![]() |
![]() Algeria |
2–0 (aet) | ![]() Tunisia |
![]() Qatar |
0–0 (aet) (5–4 p) |
![]() Egypt |
16 | ||
11 | 2025 | TBD | TBD | 16 | |||||||
12 | 2029 | TBD | TBD | TBD | |||||||
13 | 2033 | TBD | TBD |
Teams Reaching the Top Four
This table shows which teams have done best in the Arab Cup. It lists how many times they have won, been runners-up (second place), or finished third or fourth.
Team | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | Semi final | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
4 (1964, 1966*, 1985, 1988) | — | 1 (2012) | — | — | 5 |
![]() |
2 (1998, 2002) | 1 (1992) | 1 (1985*) | 1 (2012*) | — | 5 |
![]() |
1 (1963) | 1 (2021) | — | — | — | 2 |
![]() |
1 (1992) | — | 1 (1988) | 1 (2021) | — | 3 |
![]() |
1 (2012) | — | — | — | 1 (2002) | 2 |
![]() |
1 (2021) | — | — | — | — | 1 |
![]() |
— | 3 (1963, 1966, 1988) | — | 1 (1992*) | — | 4 |
![]() |
— | 2 (1964, 2012) | 1 (1966) | — | — | 3 |
![]() |
— | 2 (1985, 2002) | — | — | — | 2 |
![]() |
— | 1 (1998*) | 1 (2021*) | 1 (1985) | — | 3 |
![]() |
— | — | 3 (1964*, 1992, 1998) | 1 (1963) | — | 4 |
![]() |
— | — | 1 (1963*) | 2 (1964, 1966) | — | 3 |
![]() |
— | — | — | 1 (1988*) | 1 (2002) | 2 |
![]() |
— | — | — | 1 (1998) | — | 1 |
-
* hosts
Teams in Tournaments
This section shows how each team has performed in different Arab Cup tournaments.
- Legend
|
|
The number of teams in each final tournament is shown in parentheses.
Team | 1963![]() (5) |
1964![]() (5) |
1966![]() (10) |
1985![]() (6) |
1988![]() (10) |
1992![]() (6) |
1998![]() (12) |
2002![]() (10) |
2012![]() (11) |
2021![]() (16) |
2025![]() (16) |
Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
× | × | × | × | GS | × | GS | × | × | 1st | Q | 3 |
![]() |
× | × | GS | 2nd | GS | × | × | 2nd | GS | GS | 6 | |
![]() |
× | × | × | × | 3rd | 1st | GS | × | GS | 4th | Q | 5 |
![]() |
× | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | × | × | × | 3rd | GS | Q | 6 |
![]() |
GS | GS | GS | GS | 4th | GS | GS | SF | × | QF | Q | 9 |
![]() |
4th | 3rd | GS | × | GS | 3rd | 3rd | GS | GS | • | 8 | |
![]() |
3rd | 4th | 4th | × | GS | × | GS | GS | GS | GS | 8 | |
![]() |
× | 2nd | 3rd | × | × | × | GS | × | 2nd | • | 4 | |
![]() |
× | × | × | GS | • | × | × | × | × | GS | 2 | |
![]() |
× | × | × | × | × | × | GS | SF | 1st | QF | Q | 4 |
![]() |
× | × | GS | × | × | × | × | × | × | QF | 2 | |
![]() |
× | × | GS | × | × | GS | • | GS | GS | GS | 5 | |
![]() |
× | × | × | 4th | × | × | 2nd | × | × | 3rd | Q | 4 |
![]() |
× | × | × | 3rd | GS | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 4th | GS | Q | 7 |
![]() |
× | × | × | • | × | × | GS | GS | GS | GS | 4 | |
![]() |
2nd | × | 2nd | × | 2nd | 4th | GS | GS | × | GS | 7 | |
![]() |
1st | × | × | × | GS | × | × | × | × | 2nd | Q | 3 |
![]() |
× | × | × | × | × | × | 4th | × | × | QF | Q | 2 |
![]() |
× | × | 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) |
2025![]() (16) |
Total |
More Football Tournaments
- Palestine Cup of Nations
- Football at the Arab Games
- Arab Women's Cup
- Arab Club Champions Cup
See also
In Spanish: Copa Árabe FIFA para niños