FIFA Arab Cup facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
FIFA Arab Cup

Organising body	UAFA (1985–2012) FIFA (2021–present)
Founded	1963; 62 years ago (1963)
Region	Arab world
Number of teams	16 (finals)
Current champions	Algeria (1st title)
Most successful team(s)	Iraq (4 titles)

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.

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
				Champion	Score	Runner-up		Third place	Score	Fourth place
Arab Cup
1	1963	Lebanon		Tunisia		Syria		[[File:{{{flag alias-1943}}}|30x27px|border |alt=|link=]] Lebanon		Kuwait	5
2	1964	Kuwait		Iraq		Libya		Kuwait		[[File:{{{flag alias-1943}}}|30x27px|border |alt=|link=]] Lebanon	5
3	1966	Iraq		Iraq	2–1	Syria		Libya	6–1	[[File:{{{flag alias-1943}}}|30x27px|border |alt=|link=]] Lebanon	10
4	1985	Saudi Arabia		Iraq	1–0	Bahrain		Saudi Arabia	0–0 (aet) (4–1 p)	Qatar	6
5	1988	Jordan		Iraq	1–1 (aet) (4–3 p)	[[File:{{{flag alias-1980}}}|30x27px|border |alt=|link=]] Syria		Egypt	2–0	Jordan	10
6	1992	Syria		Egypt	3–2	Saudi Arabia		Kuwait	2–1	[[File:{{{flag alias-1980}}}|30x27px|border |alt=|link=]] Syria	6
7	1998	Qatar		Saudi Arabia	3–1	Qatar		Kuwait	4–1	United Arab Emirates	12
8	2002	Kuwait		Saudi Arabia	1–0 (aet)	Bahrain		Jordan and  Morocco			10
–	2009	Edition cancelled during qualification due to lack of sponsorship
9	2012	Saudi Arabia		Morocco	1–1 (aet) (3–1 p)	Libya		Iraq	1–0	Saudi Arabia	11
FIFA Arab Cup
10	2021	Qatar		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.

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)	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)	2
United Arab Emirates	—	—	—	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
Algeria	×	×	×	×	GS	×	GS	×	×	1st	Q	3
Bahrain	×	×	GS	2nd	GS	×	×	2nd	GS	GS		6
Egypt	×	×	×	×	3rd	1st	GS	×	GS	4th	Q	5
Iraq	×	1st	1st	1st	1st	×	×	×	3rd	GS	Q	6
Jordan	GS	GS	GS	GS	4th	GS	GS	SF	×	QF	Q	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	Q	4
Oman	×	×	GS	×	×	×	×	×	×	QF		2
[[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]]	×	×	GS	×	×	GS	•	GS	GS	GS		5
Qatar	×	×	×	4th	×	×	2nd	×	×	3rd	Q	4
Saudi Arabia	×	×	×	3rd	GS	2nd	1st	1st	4th	GS	Q	7
Sudan	×	×	×	•	×	×	GS	GS	GS	GS		4
Syria	2nd	×	2nd	×	2nd	4th	GS	GS	×	GS		7
Tunisia	1st	×	×	×	GS	×	×	×	×	2nd	Q	3
United Arab Emirates	×	×	×	×	×	×	4th	×	×	QF	Q	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)	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