The Arabian Gulf Cup (, Kaʾs al-Khalīj al-ʿArabī), also referred to simply as the Gulf Cup, is a biennial association football competition governed by the Gulf 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. The reigning champions are Saudi Arabia, who won their fourth title at the 27th edition.
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 26 in total, followed by Iraq with four titles, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar with three titles each.
Developments
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 2009http://gulfnews.com/sport/football/uae-fans-could-be-deprived-of-gulf-cup-action-1.43346 – Al Jazeera win rights from Abu Dhabi & Dubai Sports, in a competition that was broadcast freely just a decade agohttp://m.sportbusiness.com/news/168199/al-jazeera-acquires-gulf-cup-rights – Al Jazeera Sports receive full broadcasting rights for 23.5 million dollars 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. – Al Jazeera Sports offer the Gulf Cup in HD for the first time, and offer further enhanced visual graphics
The tournament marked the presence of some of the most influential personalities of the football world, including FIFA President, Sepp Blatter,http://www.gulf-cup.net/index.asp?IDNews=125&id=100001 – Sepp Blatter on the 19th Gulf Cup and UEFA president, Michel Platini.http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/84173262/AFP – Michel Platini attending the 19th Gulf Cuphttp://www.gettyimages.com/detail/84167684/AFP – Michel Platini attending the 19th Gulf Cup 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.FIFA.com
Political and security issues
From 1990 to 2003, Iraq was banned due to the Gulf War.
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.
The 22nd Arabian Gulf Cup was also shifted after concerns of preparation and security.
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.
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. However, later in November 2019, the three countries agreed to take part and the draw for the tournament was re-made.
Results YearHost First place match Third place match Teams Champion Score Runner-up Third placeScore Fourth place11970 round-robinround-robin421972 round-robinround-robin431974 4–01–1 641976 4–2round-robin751979 round-robinround-robin761982 round-robinround-robin671984 1–1 round-robin781986 round-robinround-robin791988 round-robinround-robin7101990 round-robinround-robin5111992 round-robinround-robin6121994 round-robinround-robin6131996 round-robinround-robin6141998 round-robinround-robin6152002 round-robinround-robin6162003–04 round-robinround-robin7172004 1–1 3–18182007 1–0 and 8192009 0–0 and 8202010 1–0 and 8212013 2–1 6–18222014 2–11–08232017–18 0–0 and 8242019 1–0 and 8252023 3–2 and 826 2–1 and 8272026 2–0 and 8282028 TBDTBD8
Winners summary TeamWinnersRunners-upThird placeFourth placeSemi-finalists (no third place match)10 (1970, 1972, 1974*, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1990*, 1996, 1998, 2010)1 (1979)2 (2002, 2013)1 (2004)2 (2009, 2024–25*)4 (1994, 2002*, 2003–04, 2026)7 (1972*, 1974, 1998, 2009, 2010, 2014*, 2019)7 (1970, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1988*, 1992, 1996)1 (1982)2 (2007, 2024–25)4 (1979*, 1984, 1988, 2023*)2 (1976, 2013) – –3 (2010, 2017–18, 2019)3 (1992*, 2004*, 2014)4 (1984, 1990, 1996, 2002)2 (1976*, 2003–04)5 (1970, 1972, 1974, 1986, 1994)4 (2009, 2019*, 2023, 2026)2 (2007*, 2013)5 (1986, 1988, 1994*, 2017–18, 2026)5 (1972, 1974, 1982*, 1998, 2014)3 (1984, 1992, 1996)1 (2010)2 (2019, 2024–25)4 (1970*, 1982, 1992, 2003–04)3 (1990, 1994, 2004)5 (1976, 1979, 1988, 2002, 2013*)3 (2007, 2017–18, 2023)2 (2009*, 2017–18)4 (2004, 2007, 2023, 2024–25) –4 (1990, 1998, 2003–04, 2014)1 (2026)
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 2004 2007 2009 2010 2013 2014 2019 2023 2026Total2nd × GS 4th 4th 2nd GS GS 4th 3rd 2nd 3rd GS GS GS 2nd 3rd SF GS GS 4th GS SF 1st SF 1stGS 25 3rd 4th GS GS 3rd 4th 2nd 2nd GS 4th 2nd 4th 3rd GS GS GS 1st GS SF 1st 3rd 2nd GS GS GS2nd 24 2nd 1st × 1st GS 1st × GS GS GS SF 2nd GS SF SF 1st GS GS 161st 1st 1st 1st 2nd 1st GS 1st GS 1st GS GS 1st 1st 3rd GS 4th GS SF 1st 3rd GS GS GS GS SFGS 25 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 4th GS GS GS 4th GS 4th 2nd 2nd 1st GS GS 4th 1st GS 2nd 2nd SF 234th 4th 3rd 3rd GS GS 2nd 4th GS 2nd 1st 4th 2nd GS 2nd 3rd 1st GS SF GS GS 1st GS SF SF GSSF 253rd 2nd 2nd GS 3rd 4th 3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd 1st 3rd 2nd 1st 1st GS SF 2nd 2nd GS 2nd GS 2nd GS SF1st 24 GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS GS 10Total 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 8 8
Legend:
– Champions – Runners-up – Third place – Fourth place – Semi finalist GS – Group stage
Q — Qualified for upcoming tournament — Withdrew / Disqualified — Hosts — Did not participate
Note:
was banned from the competition from 1992 to 2003. There were no third place play-offs for the Arabian Gulf Cup from 2007 to 2010 and from 2017–18 onwards.
Summary
RankTeamPartMWDLGFGAGDPoints125116592532175114 +61202226119582536204119 +85200326117433143143140 +3160425117413142122143−21154525112363442122139 -171426157638251313469 +6513972311625316098186 -881068113616291689−739 Source:
Note:
1972 (Bahrain were ejected from the competition) 1982 (Iraq withdrew from the competition) 1990 (Iraq withdrew from the competition)
All-time goal records All-time goal records by Tournaments:Statistics made by contributor based on information found on gulfcup.com TournamentGamesGoals scoredGoals per game19706193.1719726254.17197410404.00197622843.82197921703.33198215382.53198422512.32198621532.52198821341.62199010212.10199215302.00199415342.27199615352.33199815402.67200215332.202003–0421462.19200416593.69200715342.27200915312.07201015302.00201316362.25201416332.062017–1815231.53201915453.00202315392.602024–2515412.73202615412.73 reached 100 goals on 3 March 1988 vs reached 200 goals on 13 January 2023 vs reached 100 goals on 19 October 1996 vs reached 100 goals on 16 December 2004 vs reached 100 goals on 2 December 2010 vs reached 100 goals on 11 January 2013 vs reached 100 goals on 11 January 2013 vs reached 100 goals on 29 September 2026 vs
Does not include goals from annulled or abandoned games (1972 – games, 1982 & 1990 games)
Includes 1974 preliminary round games
Does not include penalty shoot-out goals
All-time top scorers Updated on 4 December 2019. RankPlayerCountryGoals1Jasem Yaqoub182Majed Abdullah17Hussein Saeed174Jasem Al Huwaidi14Faisal Al-Dakhil146Ali Mabkhout13Mansour Muftah138Bader Al-Mutawa12Yussef Al-Suwayed1210Fahad Khamees10Mahmoud Soufi10Yasser Al-Qahtani10
Players in bold are still active
Golden boot history YearPlayer(s)Goals scored1970 Mohammed Masawd3 Jawad Khalif1972 Hamad Bu Hamood61974 Jasem Yaqoub61976 Jasem Yaqoub91979 Hussein Saeed101982 Ebrahim Zwaeed3 Saleem Khalifa Yussif Swaid Majed Abdullah1984 Hussain Saeed71986 Fahad Khamees61988 Zuhair Bukheet4 Ahmad Radhi1990 Mohammed Ebrahim Hajeyah51992 Mubarak Mustafa31994 Fuad Anwar4 Mahmoud Soufi1996 Mohammed Salem Al-Enazi41998 Jasem Al Huwaidi92002 Hani Al-Dhabit52003–04 Talal Yousef52004 Amad Al Hosni42007 Ismail Matar52009 Hassan Rabia42010 Bader Al-Mutawa3 Alaa Abdul-Zahra2013 Ahmed Khalil3 Abdulhadi Khamis2014 Ali Mabkhout52017–18 Ali Husni2 Ali Faez Jamal Rashid Almoez Ali Said Al-Ruzaiqi2019 Ali Mabkhout52023 Aymen Hussein3 Ibrahim Bayesh2024–25 Mohamed Marhoon3 Issam Al-Sabhi Abdullah Al-Hamdan
Other records Biggest win – 8 goals 8–0 (29 March 1976)
Most goals in a game – 8 goals 8–0 (29 March 1976)
Most individual goals in a single game – 5 goals Majed Abdullah, (3 April 1979 vs ) Jassem Al Houwaidi, (1998 vs )
Most individual goals in a single tournament – 10 goals Hussein Saeed, (1979)
See also Gulf Cup for Veteran Players GFF U-23 Gulf Cup GFF U-20 Gulf Cup GFF U-17 Gulf Cup GCC Futsal Cup WAFF Championship FIFA Arab Cup
References
External links