Arab Cup 2025 set for Doha

Al Bayt Stadium hosts glittering December opener

Doha will take centre stage when the 2025 Arab Cup begins on 1 December, with Al Bayt Stadium confirmed as the host of the opening ceremony and first match. Qatar will launch the competition against either Palestine or Libya, before Tunisia face Syria or South Sudan later that evening in Group A.

Before then, a qualifying round on 25 November will decide the final entrants. Bahrain meet Djibouti, while other ties include Palestine v Libya, Syria v South Sudan, Oman v Somalia, and Yemen v Comoros. The winners will complete the 16-nation lineup.

Group A features hosts Qatar, Tunisia, and two playoff winners. Group B contains Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the victors of Oman/Somalia and Yemen/Comoros. Group C boasts Egypt, Jordan, UAE, and Kuwait/Mauritania, while Group D is headlined by Algeria and Iraq alongside Bahrain/Djibouti and Lebanon/Sudan.

Organisers have confirmed an accessible ticketing structure. Group and quarter-final matches start from just 1.5 dinars, rising to 6 dinars for the top category. Semi-finals range from 4 to 10 dinars, while the opening match and final are priced at 4 to 20 dinars. Packages are also on offer: the “Support Your Team” bundle runs between 7.5 and 18 dinars, while a semi-final–final pass tops out at 30 dinars. Sales open tomorrow at 3pm.

The top two sides from each group advance to the quarter-finals, leading to the final on 18 December.