Organising body | Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation |
---|---|
Founded | 1970 |
Number of teams | 8 |
Current champions | ![]() (4th title) |
Most successful team(s) | ![]() (10 titles) |
Website | agcff.com |
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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] is a biennial 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.[6] The reigning champions are Iraq, having won their fourth title at the 25th edition, as hosts, held in 2023.
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 24 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.
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.[7] However, later in November 2019, the three countries agreed to take part and the draw for the tournament was re-made.[8]
A major point that helped Qatar improve the competition was the fact 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[9] after a deal ending in million,[10] 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.[11]
The tournament marked the presence of some of the most influential personalities of the football world, including FIFA President, Sepp Blatter,[12] and UEFA president, Michel Platini.[13][14] 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.[15]
Team | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | Semi-finalists (no 3rd Place Match) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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10 (1970, 1972, 1974*, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1990*, 1996, 1998, 2010) | 1 (1979) | 2 (2002, 2013) | 1 (2004) | 1 (2009) |
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4 (1979*, 1984, 1988, 2023*) | 2 (1976, 2013) | – | – | 3 (2010, 2017–18, 2019) |
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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) |
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3 (1992*, 2004*, 2014) | 4 (1984, 1990, 1996, 2002) | 2 (1976*, 2003–04) | 5 (1970, 1972, 1974, 1986, 1994) | 3 (2009, 2019*,2023) |
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2 (2007*, 2013) | 4 (1986, 1988, 1994*, 2017–18) | 5 (1972, 1974, 1982*, 1998, 2014) | 3 (1984, 1992, 1996) | 1 (2010) |
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2 (2009*, 2017–18) | 3 (2004, 2007, 2023) | – | 4 (1990, 1998, 2003–04, 2014) | – |
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1 (2019) | 4 (1970*, 1982, 1992, 2003–04) | 3 (1990, 1994, 2004) | 5 (1976, 1979, 1988, 2002, 2013*) | 3 (2007, 2017–18, 2023) |
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– | – | – | – | – |
Note:
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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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 |
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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 | |
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2nd | 1st | WD | 1st | GS | 1st | WD | GS | GS | GS | SF | 2nd | GS | SF | SF | 1st | 16 | |||||||||
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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 |
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GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | 4th | GS | GS | GS | 4th | GS | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | GS | GS | 4th | 1st | GS | 2nd | 23 | ||
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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 |
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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 | |
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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:
Note:
Rank | Team | Part | M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
24 | 112 | 57 | 25 | 30 | 166 | 106 | +60 | 196 |
2 | ![]() |
25 | 115 | 57 | 24 | 34 | 200 | 115 | +85 | 195 |
3 | ![]() |
25 | 114 | 43 | 29 | 42 | 140 | 136 | +4 | 158 |
4 | ![]() |
24 | 114 | 41 | 29 | 41 | 119 | 139 | −20 | 152 |
5 | ![]() |
14 | 73 | 37 | 25 | 11 | 132 | 64 | +68 | 136 |
6 | ![]() |
24 | 107 | 32 | 34 | 41 | 113 | 135 | −22 | 130 |
7 | ![]() |
22 | 111 | 23 | 29 | 59 | 91 | 180 | −89 | 98 |
8 | ![]() |
10 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 27 | 12 | 84 | −72 | 6 |
Source:[16]
Note:
All-time goal records by Tournaments:[17]
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 |
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
Rank | Player | Country | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jasem Yaqoub | ![]() |
18 |
2 | Majed Abdullah | ![]() |
17 |
Hussein Saeed | ![]() |
17 | |
4 | Jasem Al Huwaidi | ![]() |
14 |
Faisal Al-Dakhil | ![]() |
14 | |
6 | Ali Mabkhout | ![]() |
13 |
Mansour Muftah | ![]() |
13 | |
8 | Bader Al-Mutawa | ![]() |
12 |
Yussef Al-Suwayed | ![]() |
12 | |
10 | Fahad Khamees | ![]() |
10 |
Mahmoud Soufi | ![]() |
10 | |
Yasser Al-Qahtani | ![]() |
10 |
Players in bold are still active
Year | Player(s) | Goals scored |
---|---|---|
1970 | ![]() |
3 |
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1972 | ![]() |
6 |
1974 | ![]() |
6 |
1976 | ![]() |
9 |
1979 | ![]() |
10 |
1982 | ![]() |
3 |
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1984 | ![]() |
7 |
1986 | ![]() |
6 |
1988 | ![]() |
4 |
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1990 | ![]() |
5 |
1992 | ![]() |
3 |
1994 | ![]() |
4 |
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1996 | ![]() |
4 |
1998 | ![]() |
9 |
2002 | ![]() |
5 |
2003–04 | ![]() |
5 |
2004 | ![]() |
4 |
2007 | ![]() |
5 |
2009 | ![]() |
4 |
2010 | ![]() |
3 |
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2013 | ![]() |
3 |
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2014 | ![]() |
5 |
2017–18 | ![]() |
2 |
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2019 | ![]() |
5 |
2023 | ![]() |
3 |
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