The West Asian Football Federation Championship (Arabic: بطولة اتحاد غرب آسيا لكرة القدم), or simply WAFF Championship, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), the governing body of football in West Asia. The championship has been held, on average, every two years.[1]

WAFF Championship
Organising bodyWAFF
Founded2000; 24 years ago (2000)
RegionWest Asia
Number of teams9 (2019)
Current champions Bahrain (1st title)
Most successful team(s) Iran (4 titles)
Websitethe-waff.com
2023 WAFF Championship
Members of the WAFF

The current champion is Bahrain, having defeated hosts Iraq in the 2019 final. The most successful team is Iran, with four titles; however, they do not compete in the competition anymore as they are no longer members of the WAFF.

History

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The inaugural WAFF Championship was held in 2000 in Jordan, with Iran winning the first edition.[2] It was hosted in memory of Hussein of Jordan, who had died a year prior.[3] The Al Hussein Cup, assigned to the winner of each tournament, was designed and manufactured in Italy in 2000, and is made of silver and copper.[2]

Results

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Edition Year Hosts Champions Score and Venue Runners-up Third place Score and Venue Fourth place No. of Teams
1 2000   Jordan  
Iran
1–0
King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman
 
Syria
 
Iraq
4–1
King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman
 
Jordan
8
2 2002   Syria  
Iraq
3–2 (a.e.t.)
Abbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus
 
Jordan
 
Iran
2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 pen.)
Abbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus
 
Syria
6
3 2004   Iran  
Iran
4–1
Azadi Stadium, Tehran
 
Syria
 
Jordan
3–1
Azadi Stadium, Tehran
 
Iraq
6
4 2007   Jordan  
Iran
2–1
Amman International Stadium, Amman
 
Iraq
  Jordan and   Syria[note 1] 6
5 2008   Iran  
Iran
2–1
Azadi Stadium, Tehran
 
Jordan
  Qatar and   Syria[note 1] 6
6 2010   Jordan  
Kuwait
2–1
King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman
 
Iran
  Iraq and   Yemen[note 1] 9
7 2012   Kuwait  
Syria
1–0
Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City
 
Iraq
 
Oman
1–0
Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah Stadium, Al Farwaniyah
 
Bahrain
11
8 2013   Qatar  
Qatar
2–0
Al Sadd Stadium, Doha
 
Jordan
 
Bahrain
0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–2 pen.)
Al Sadd Stadium, Doha
 
Kuwait
9
9 2019   Iraq  
Bahrain
1–0
Karbala International Stadium, Karbala
 
Iraq
[note 2] 9
10 2023   TBD Tournament postponed Tournament postponed 12
  • a.e.t.: after extra time
  • pen.: after penalty shoot-out
  • TBD: to be determined
Notes
  1. ^ a b c The two semi-finalists in 2007, 2008, and 2010 did not play a third-place match.
  2. ^ There were neither semi-finals nor a third-place match in 2019.

Teams reaching the top four

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Teams reaching the top four
Team Titles Runners-up Third place1 Fourth place Total
  Iran 4 (2000, 2004*, 2007, 2008*) 1 (2010) 1 (2002) 6
  Iraq 1 (2002) 3 (2007, 2012, 2019*) 2 (2000, 20102) 1 (2004) 7
  Syria 1 (2012) 2 (2000, 2004) 2 (20072, 20082) 1 (2002*) 6
  Bahrain 1 (2019) 1 (2013) 1 (2012) 3
  Qatar 1 (2013*) 1 (20082) 2
  Kuwait 1 (2010) 1 (2013) 2
  Jordan 3 (2002, 2008, 2013) 2 (2004, 20072*) 1 (2000*) 6
  Yemen 1 (20102) 1
  Oman 1 (2012) 1
* = hosts
1 = includes semi-finals in case there was no third-place match
2 = semi-final

Records and statistics

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Top goalscorers by tournament

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Year Player(s) Goals
2000   Razzaq Farhan 4
2002   Alireza Nikbakht 2
  Razzaq Farhan
  Muayad Salim
  Anas Sari
2004   Ali Daei 5
2007   Mehdi Rajabzadeh 2
  Salih Sadir
2008   Kianoush Rahmati 3
2010   Ali Al-Nono 4
2012   Qasim Said 4
  Ahmad Al Douni
2013   Boualem Khoukhi 6
2019   Hussein Ali 3

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "West Asian Championship". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  2. ^ a b ""كأس الحسين".. رمزية تاريخية وعودة ميمونة". The WAFF. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  3. ^ "اتحاد غرب آسيا يُحدد موعد بطولة الرجال العاشرة". جريدة الغد (in Arabic). 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
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