Bids for Inaugural FIFA Arab Cup Tournament Reached Climax
The FIFA Arab Cup 2021 took place from November 30 to December 18, 2021, in Qatar. Organised by FIFA as a preparatory event for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the tournament featured 16 teams from the Arab world.
The participating teams were divided into four groups, each consisting of four teams. Here's a breakdown of the groups:
- Group A: Qatar (host), Iraq, Oman, Bahrain
- Group B: Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Syria, Mauritania
- Group C: Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan
- Group D: Morocco, Jordan, Palestine, Kuwait
The tournament followed a group stage and knockout stage format. In the group stage, each team played round-robin matches within their group. The top two teams from each group progressed to the knockout stage, which included quarter-finals, semi-finals, a third-place playoff, and the final.
The knockout phase of the Arab Cup began on December 10. The trophy and bronze medal matches were held on Saturday, December 18. The final squads for the Arab Cup were recently announced, and no European club players were included.
Interestingly, the Arab Cup was not held under the auspices of FIFA until now. Established in 1963, the tournament was previously known as the Arab Nations Cup. This year's event served as a regional championship and a valuable rehearsal for Qatar's hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Arab Cup was open to teams from the Asian and African confederations, reflecting the diverse cultural and footballing landscape of the Arab world. The current champion of the Arab Cup is Morocco, who won nine years ago.
The revamped Arab Cup was a significant step forward for Arab football, providing a platform for regional teams to showcase their skills and compete against each other. It also offered a unique opportunity to prepare for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup, making it an event of great significance for football fans across the Arab world and beyond.
The competing teams orchestrated their skills in various European leagues before the tournament, as no European club players were included in the final squads for the Arab Cup. Despite the absence of European clubs, the Arab Cup mirrored the international stage, as the current champions of the European Champions League, Bayern Munich, and other prestigious European football clubs were not present.
