All eyes turn to Khaleeji Zain 26 following World Cup drama
Following a dramatic week of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, all eyes now turn to one of football’s biggest regional tournaments, Khaleeji Zain 26 (Arabian Gulf Cup), taking place in Kuwait City from December 21-January 3.
The biennial event will feature eight teams from the Gulf region fighting it out for honours at the state-of-the-art Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium and Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Stadium (Sulaibikhat Club Stadium).
The host nation’s thrilling 1-1 draw with Jordan on Tuesday night puts the home fans in a positive mood looking ahead to their opening match on December 21 against Oman in Group A, which will also include Qatar and UAE. Group B will feature reigning champions Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen.
Seven of the eight teams were in World Cup qualifying action over the past week, with all still in with a chance of reaching the USA 2026 finals with four matches to go.
Ticket sale details are expected to be released soon with fans promised a ‘FIFA World Cup-style’ experience at all of the games in both stadiums.
The draw for the tournament was held earlier this month at a glittering ceremony held in the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait. It was attended by senior dignitaries led by Kuwait’s Information Minister and State Minister of Youth Affairs, Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, and officials from the Arabian Gulf Cup Football Federation, Kuwait Football Association, Gulf football associations, delegations from the eight participating teams, and a number of Gulf football stars.
The evening also unveiled the tournament’s official mascot, Haydo the Camel, who symbolises the Gulf’s environment and rich culture. The mascot will serve as a dynamic focal point for engaging with fans, especially families, and youngsters.
Kuwait will look to take advantage of hosting the tournament for a fifth time, and they still remain the most successful country in the history of the event, which began in 1970. Kuwait have won it an impressive 10 times, but their last victory came back in 2010.
Iraq will travel to their neighbours confident of retaining the title that they won on home soil in Basra two years ago, having won their latest World Cup qualifier this week.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman are all past winners, while Yemen will be hoping to pull off a surprise of their own as they bid for their first Gulf tournament victory.
Following the big Opening Ceremony on December 21, the Khaleeji Zain 26 will feature 12 group matches in total with the top two from each group going straight into the semi-finals. The final will be played at the 60,000-capacity Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium on January 3.
Formerly known as the Arabian Gulf Cup, the tournament will carry the Khaleeji Zain name for the second time following an agreement signed between the tournament and the leading technology and digital lifestyle company, Zain, prior to the 25th edition held in Basra two years ago.
