Full Guide: 2025 Arab Cup Schedule, Groups, Venues and Key Dates

The countdown is on for 1 of the most exciting tournaments in Arab football (the 2025 Arab Cup) returning to Qatar from 1 to 18 December 2025 under the official supervision of FIFA.

With 16 national team competing across 10 stadium in 6 Qatari cities, the stage is set for intense race to lift one of the most prestigious titles in the region.

History & Legacy

Algeria enter the tournament as defending champions having lifted the 2021 title after defeating Tunisia 2-0 in the final at Al Bayt Stadium. Goals from Amir Sayoud and Yacine Brahimi sealed the nation’s first ever Arab Cup triumph.

Iraq, however remain the tournament’s most successful nation with four titles (1964, 1966, 1985, 1988), followed by Saudi Arabia with 2 (1998, 2002). Both teams will look to add another chapter to their rich regional history.

Tournament dates & format

The competition kicks off on Monday 1 December 2025 and concludes with the final on Thursday 18 December 2025.

• Third place match: 11:00 p.m (GMT)
• Final match: 4:00 p.m. (GMT)

The top 2 team from each group will advance to the quarter finals, followed by semi finals and the grand final in Lusail Stadium.

Host Cities & Venues

Matches will take place across 6 host cities and 10 iconic venues including:

• Al Bayt Stadium (Al Khor)
• Khalifa International Stadium (Doha)
• Lusail Stadium
• Education City Stadium (Al Rayyan)
• Ahmad bin Ali Stadium (Al Rayyan)
• Jassim bin Hamad Stadium (Doha)
• Thani bin Jassim Stadium (Doha)
• Stadium 974 (Doha)

2025 Arab Cup Groups

Group A:

• Qatar
• Tunisia
• Syria / South Sudan
• Palestine / Libya

Group B:

• Morocco
• Saudi Arabia
• Oman / Somalia
• Yemen / Comoros

Group C:

• Egypt
• Jordan
• UAE
• Kuwait / Mauritania

Group D:

• Algeria
• Iraq
• Bahrain / Djibouti
• Lebanon / Sudan

Group Stage Fixtures (1–9 December 2025)

The group stage opens with:

• Tunisia vs Syria/South Sudan on 1 December

followed by host nation:

• Qatar vs Palestine/Libya on 1 December

Each matchday promises high stakes with only the top 2 from each group moving on to the knockout rounds.

Knockout Stages

Quarter finals (11-12 December 2025):

• QF1: Group B winner vs Group A runner up
• QF2: Group A winner vs Group B runner up
• QF3: Group C winner vs Group D runner up
• QF4: Group D winner vs Group C runner up

Semi finals (15 December 2025):

• SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF4
• SF2: Winner QF2 vs Winner QF3

Third Place & Final (18 December 2025):

• 3rd place: 11:00 p.m (GMT)
• Final: 4:00 p.m (GMT)

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.