The Arabian Gulf Cup (Arabic: كأس الخليج العربي, Kaʾs al-Khalīj al-ʿArabī),[1][2][3] often referred to simply as the Gulf Cup,[4][5][6] is a biennial association football competition governed by the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation for its eight member nations. The history of the competition has also seen it held every three to four years due to political or organisational problems.[7] The reigning champions are Iraq, having won their fourth title at the 25th edition, as hosts, held in 2023.
| Organising body | Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1970 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Current champions |  Iraq(4th title) |
| Most successful team(s) |  Kuwait(10 titles) |
| Website | agcff.com |
 26th Arabian Gulf Cup | |
History
The idea for the tournament was established at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and the first Arabian Gulf Cup took place in 1970 which was won by Kuwait. Kuwait has been the most successful team in the tournament's history, winning 10 tournaments out of 25 in total, followed by Iraq with four titles, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar with three titles each. The current champions are Iraq, who defeated Oman in 2023 to win their fourth title.
Developments
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A major point that helped Qatar improve the competition was that Al Jazeera Sports, the leading sports channel in Western Asia, and North Africa is based in Doha. Al Jazeera Sports won broadcasting rights to the 2004, and exclusively in the 19th Arabian Gulf Cup in 2009[8][9] and dramatically reformed the Arabian Gulf Cup by hosting numerous talk shows and documentaries, on top of filming in HD and perfecting camerawork of matches.[10]
The tournament marked the presence of some of the most influential personalities of the football world, including FIFA President, Sepp Blatter,[11] and UEFA president, Michel Platini.[12][13] The FIFA Executive Committee has also put on their October 4, 2013 meeting agenda to hear the proposal for the Arabian Gulf Cup to be included in the international match calendar.[14]
Political and security issues
From 1990 to 2003, Iraq was banned due to the Gulf War.[15]
The 21st Arabian Gulf Cup in 2013 was originally scheduled to be hosted in the city of Basra, Iraq, but was moved to Bahrain in October 2011 to ensure that Iraq could suitably host the competition in the 22nd edition.[16]
The 22nd Arabian Gulf Cup was also shifted after concerns of preparation and security.[17]
Likewise, the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup was also originally scheduled to be held in Basra, Iraq, with an official decision set to be made in February 2015. On 2 February 2015, the Iraqi Ministry of Youth announced that Iraq would not host the competition due to a financial crisis in Iraq.[18][19]
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar. In July 2019, the AGCFF announced that the 24th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup would be held in the Qatari capital of Doha. In October 2019, the three countries announced they would not participate in the competition.[20] However, later in November 2019, the three countries agreed to take part and the draw for the tournament was re-made.[21]
Results
Winners summary
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | Semi-finalists (no 3rd Place Match) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuwait
|
10 (1970, 1972, 1974*, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1990*, 1996, 1998, 2010) | 1 (1979) | 2 (2002, 2013) | 1 (2004) | 1 (2009) |
| Iraq
|
4 (1979*, 1984, 1988, 2023*) | 2 (1976, 2013) | – | – | 3 (2010, 2017–18, 2019) |
 Saudi Arabia
|
3 (1994, 2002*, 2003–04) | 7 (1972*, 1974, 1998, 2009, 2010, 2014*, 2019) | 7 (1970, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1988*, 1992, 1996) | 1 (1982) | 1 (2007) |
 Qatar
|
3 (1992*, 2004*, 2014) | 4 (1984, 1990, 1996, 2002) | 2 (1976*, 2003–04) | 5 (1970, 1972, 1974, 1986, 1994) | 3 (2009, 2019*,2023) |
 United Arab Emirates
|
2 (2007*, 2013) | 4 (1986, 1988, 1994*, 2017–18) | 5 (1972, 1974, 1982*, 1998, 2014) | 3 (1984, 1992, 1996) | 1 (2010) |
 Oman
|
2 (2009*, 2017–18) | 3 (2004, 2007, 2023) | – | 4 (1990, 1998, 2003–04, 2014) | – |
 Bahrain
|
1 (2019) | 4 (1970*, 1982, 1992, 2003–04) | 3 (1990, 1994, 2004) | 5 (1976, 1979, 1988, 2002, 2013*) | 3 (2007, 2017–18, 2023) |
 Yemen
|
– | – | – | – | – |
Note:
- An asterisk (*) beside the year in the above table means that country hosted the tournament.
Participating nations
| Team |  1970 |
 1972 |
1974 |
1976 |
 1979 |
1982 |
 1984 |
 1986 |
1988 |
1990 |
1992 |
1994 |
1996 |
1998 |
2002 |
2003–04 |
2004 |
2007 |
2009 |
2010 |
2013 |
2014 |
2017–18 |
2019 |
2023 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bahrain
|
2nd | WD | GS | 4th | 4th | 2nd | GS | GS | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | GS | GS | GS | 2nd | 3rd | SF | GS | GS | 4th | GS | SF | 1st | SF | 25 |
 UAE
|
3rd | 4th | GS | GS | 3rd | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | GS | 4th | 2nd | 4th | 3rd | GS | GS | GS | 1st | GS | SF | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | GS | GS | 24 | |
 Iraq
|
2nd | 1st | WD | 1st | GS | 1st | WD | GS | GS | GS | SF | 2nd | GS | SF | SF | 1st | 16 | |||||||||
 Kuwait
|
1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | GS | 1st | GS | 1st | GS | GS | 1st | 1st | 3rd | GS | 4th | GS | SF | 1st | 3rd | GS | GS | GS | GS | 25 |
 Oman
|
GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | 4th | GS | GS | GS | 4th | GS | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | GS | GS | 4th | 1st | GS | 2nd | 23 | ||
 Qatar
|
4th | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | GS | GS | 2nd | 4th | GS | 2nd | 1st | 4th | 2nd | GS | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | GS | SF | GS | GS | 1st | GS | SF | SF | 25 |
 Saudi Arabia
|
3rd | 2nd | 2nd | GS | 3rd | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | GS | SF | 2nd | 2nd | GS | 2nd | GS | 2nd | GS | 24 | |
 Yemen
|
GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | 10 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
Legend:
- #: Invitee
- Red border: Host nation
- Blank: Did not enter
- TBD: To be determined
- GS: Group stage
- SF: Semi-finalists (No third place match)
- WD: Withdrew
Note:
Summary
| Rank | Team | Part | M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia
|
24 | 112 | 57 | 25 | 30 | 166 | 106 | +60 | 196 |
| 2 | Kuwait
|
25 | 115 | 57 | 24 | 34 | 200 | 115 | +85 | 195 |
| 3 | Qatar
|
25 | 114 | 43 | 29 | 42 | 140 | 136 | +4 | 158 |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates
|
24 | 114 | 41 | 29 | 41 | 119 | 139 | −20 | 152 |
| 5 | Iraq
|
14 | 73 | 37 | 25 | 11 | 132 | 64 | +68 | 136 |
| 6 | Bahrain
|
24 | 107 | 32 | 34 | 41 | 113 | 135 | −22 | 130 |
| 7 | Oman
|
22 | 111 | 23 | 29 | 59 | 91 | 180 | −89 | 98 |
| 8 | Yemen
|
10 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 27 | 12 | 84 | −72 | 6 |
Source:[22]
Note:
All-time goal records
All-time goal records by Tournaments:[23]
| Tournament | Games | Goals scored | Goals per game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6 | 19 | 3.17 |
| 1972 | 6 | 25 | 4.17 |
| 1974 | 10 | 40 | 4.00 |
| 1976 | 22 | 84 | 3.82 |
| 1979 | 21 | 70 | 3.33 |
| 1982 | 15 | 38 | 2.53 |
| 1984 | 22 | 51 | 2.32 |
| 1986 | 21 | 53 | 2.52 |
| 1988 | 21 | 34 | 1.62 |
| 1990 | 10 | 21 | 2.10 |
| 1992 | 15 | 30 | 2.00 |
| 1994 | 15 | 34 | 2.27 |
| 1996 | 15 | 35 | 2.33 |
| 1998 | 15 | 40 | 2.67 |
| 2002 | 15 | 33 | 2.20 |
| 2003–04 | 21 | 46 | 2.19 |
| 2004 | 16 | 59 | 3.69 |
| 2007 | 15 | 34 | 2.27 |
| 2009 | 15 | 31 | 2.07 |
| 2010 | 15 | 30 | 2.00 |
| 2013 | 16 | 36 | 2.25 |
| 2014 | 16 | 33 | 2.06 |
| 2017–18 | 15 | 23 | 1.53 |
| 2019 | 15 | 45 | 3.00 |
| 2023 | 15 | 39 | 2.60 |
Kuwait reached 100 goals on 3 March 1988 vs 
Qatar- Kuwait reached 200 goals on 13 January 2023 vs
Bahrain 
Saudi Arabia reached 100 goals on 19 October 1996 vs Qatar- Qatar reached 100 goals on 16 December 2004 vs
Oman 
Iraq reached 100 goals on 2 December 2010 vs Kuwait- Bahrain reached 100 goals on 11 January 2013 vs Qatar
United Arab Emirates reached 100 goals on 11 January 2013 vs Oman
Does not include goals from annulled or abandoned games (1972 – Bahrain games, 1982 & 1990 Iraq games)
Includes 1974 preliminary round games
Does not include penalty shoot-out goals
All-time top scorers
- Updated on 4 December 2019.
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasem Yaqoub | Kuwait
|
18 |
| 2 | Majed Abdullah | Saudi Arabia
|
17 |
| Hussein Saeed | Iraq
|
17 | |
| 4 | Jasem Al Huwaidi | Kuwait
|
14 |
| Faisal Al-Dakhil | Kuwait
|
14 | |
| 6 | Ali Mabkhout | United Arab Emirates
|
13 |
| Mansour Muftah | Qatar
|
13 | |
| 8 | Bader Al-Mutawa | Kuwait
|
12 |
| Yussef Al-Suwayed | Kuwait
|
12 | |
| 10 | Fahad Khamees | United Arab Emirates
|
10 |
| Mahmoud Soufi | Qatar
|
10 | |
| Yasser Al-Qahtani | Saudi Arabia
|
10 |
Players in bold are still active
Golden boot history
| Year | Player(s) | Goals scored |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Mohammed Masawd |
3 |
| Jawad Khalif
| ||
| 1972 | Hamad Bu Hamood |
6 |
| 1974 | Jasem Yaqoub |
6 |
| 1976 | Jasem Yaqoub |
9 |
| 1979 | Hussein Saeed |
10 |
| 1982 | Ebrahim Zwaeed |
3 |
| Saleem Khalifa
| ||
| Yussif Swaid
| ||
| Majed Abdullah
| ||
| 1984 | Hussain Saeed |
7 |
| 1986 | Fahad Khamees |
6 |
| 1988 | Zuhair Bukheet |
4 |
| Ahmad Radhi
| ||
| 1990 | Mohammed Ebrahim Hajeyah |
5 |
| 1992 | Mubarak Mustafa |
3 |
| 1994 | Fuad Anwar |
4 |
| Mahmoud Soufi
| ||
| 1996 | Mohammed Salem Al-Enazi |
4 |
| 1998 | Jasem Al Huwaidi |
9 |
| 2002 | Hani Al-Dhabit |
5 |
| 2003–04 | Talal Yousef |
5 |
| 2004 | Amad Al Hosni |
4 |
| 2007 | Ismail Matar |
5 |
| 2009 | Hassan Rabia |
4 |
| 2010 | Bader Al-Mutawa |
3 |
| Alaa Abdul-Zahra
| ||
| 2013 | Ahmed Khalil |
3 |
| Abdulhadi Khamis
| ||
| 2014 | Ali Mabkhout |
5 |
| 2017–18 | Ali Husni |
2 |
| Ali Faez
| ||
| Jamal Rashid
| ||
| Almoez Ali
| ||
| Said Al-Ruzaiqi
| ||
| 2019 | Ali Mabkhout |
5 |
| 2023 | Aymen Hussein |
3 |
| Ibrahim Bayesh
|
Other records
- Biggest win – 8 goals
- Most goals in a game – 8 goals
- Most individual goals in a single game – 5 goals
- Majed Abdullah, Saudi Arabia (3 April 1979 vs Qatar)
- Jassem Al Houwaidi, Kuwait (1998 vs Qatar)
- Most individual goals in a single tournament – 10 goals
- Hussein Saeed,
Iraq (1979)
See also
References
- ^ "FIFA President impressed with Gulf Cup kick-off". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017.
- ^ "Arabian Gulf Cup 23 2017". Kooora. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018.
- ^ "The Official Logo of the Arabian Gulf Cup". Kuwait Football Association. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
- ^ https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSMTZXEFBUSJ1A5V/
- ^ "Kuwait to host 26th Gulf Cup". Iraqi News. 2023-01-09. Archived from the original on 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
- ^ "Dozens injured during Oman's Gulf Cup win celebrations". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018.
- ^ "Iraq pull out of Gulf Cup in spat with Saudi Arabia". Reuters. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016.
- ^ http://gulfnews.com/sport/football/uae-fans-could-be-deprived-of-gulf-cup-action-1.43346 Archived 2011-01-21 at the Wayback Machine – Al Jazeera win rights from Abu Dhabi & Dubai Sports, in a competition that was broadcast freely just a decade ago
- ^ http://m.sportbusiness.com/news/168199/al-jazeera-acquires-gulf-cup-rights Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine – Al Jazeera Sports receive full broadcasting rights for 23.5 million dollars
- ^ "WTVision broadcasts real-time statistics at 2009 Gulf Cup in Oman - News - wTVision". Archived from the original on 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2010-02-07. – Al Jazeera Sports offer the Gulf Cup in HD for the first time, and offer further enhanced visual graphics
- ^ http://www.gulf-cup.net/index.asp?IDNews=125&id=100001 Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine – Sepp Blatter on the 19th Gulf Cup
- ^ http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/84173262/AFP Archived 2023-04-10 at the Wayback Machine – Michel Platini attending the 19th Gulf Cup
- ^ http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/84167684/AFP – Michel Platini attending the 19th Gulf Cup
- ^ FIFA.com
- ^ "Wars and football: Iraq's politically-charged history in the Arabian Gulf Cup". Doha News. 21 January 2023. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "Bahrain to host 21st Gulf Cup". QFA.com.qa. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ "Gulf Cup shifts from Iraq to Saudi Arabia". SFGate. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
- ^ "Iraq named 2016 Gulf Cup hosts, final decision in three months". Qatar FA. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- ^ "Iraq officially suspends hosting Khaliji 23 Championship". Iraqi News.com. 2 February 2015. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ "Five teams to compete in 24th Arabian Gulf Cup next month". FOX Sports Asia. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain to play in Gulf Cup in Qatar". The Arabian Stories News. 13 November 2019. Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ "Arab Gulf Cup Federation". Archived from the original on 2023-01-19. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ Statistics made by contributor based on information found on gulfcup.com Archived 5 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Gulf Cup official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 December 2010)
- Gulf Cup website at the Wayback Machine (archived 5 February 2006)
- Official website of the 19th Gulf Cup at the Wayback Machine (archived 7 February 2009)
- Gulf Cup – Hailoosport.com at the Wayback Machine (archived 3 May 2014) (in Arabic)
- Gulf Cup – Hailoosport.com at the Wayback Machine (archived 3 May 2014) (in English)