Th FIFA Arab Cup is yet another one f the most-talked-about football competitions.
But the reality is that many football fans are mystified about what the tournament is all about.
However, there is no need to worry because the matter would be put to bed in this article.
What Trophy Is The FIFA Arab Cup?
The FIFA Arab Cup is a football tournament contested by national teams in the UAFA (Union of Arab Football Association).
The UAFA, on the other hand, is the governing body for national teams in the “Arab states” or region.
These teams are spread across Africa and Asia.
Hence, the UAFA has two primary members: the Asian Football Federation (AFA) and Confederation of African Football (CAF).
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Which Countries Are Eligible For The Arab Cup?
See below a list of eligible nations for the Arab Cup by their confederations.
| SN | Nation | Confederation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iraq | AFA |
| 2 | Syria | AFA |
| 3 | Kuwait | AFA |
| 4 | Lebanon | AFA |
| 5 | Egypt | CAF |
| 6 | Morocco | CAF |
| 7 | Jordan | AFA |
| 8 | Saudi Arabia | AFA |
| 9 | Tunisia | CAF |
| 10 | Qatar | AFA |
| 11 | Libya | CAF |
| 12 | Algeria | CAF |
| 13 | Bahrain | AFA |
| 14 | Sudan | CAF |
| 15 | Palestine | AFA |
| 16 | United Arab Emirates | AFA |
| 17 | Oman | AFA |
| 18 | Yemen[a] | AFA |
| 19 | Mauritania | CAF |
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Tournament Format
As of today, the FIFA Arab cup is contested by 16 teams.
These 16 teams are divided into 4 groups and only 2 from each group would qualify to the knockout stage.
Unlike other major tournament, there is no consistent pattern as to how often or when Arab Cup should hold.
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History of the FIFA Arab Cup
The Arab Cup has been in existence a long time ago. Its first edition was held in 1963.
Not until 2021 that FIFA started to organize the competition. Hence, the rename of the competition to “FIFA Arab Cup”.
However, before then, the tournament operated independently.
See below a table of every edition of the competition since 1963.
| Edition | Year | Hosts | Winners |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1963 | Lebanon | Tunisia |
| 2 | 1964 | Kuwait | Iraq |
| 3 | 1966 | Iraq | Iraq |
| 4 | 1985 | Saudi Arabia | Iraq |
| 5 | 1988 | Jordan | Iraq |
| 6 | 1992 | Syria | Egypt |
| 7 | 1998 | Qatar | Saudi Arabia |
| 8 | 2002 | Kuwait | Saudi Arabia |
| 9 | 2012 | Saudi Arabia | Morocco |
| 10 | 2021 | Qatar | Algeria |
Which Team Has Won The Most Arab Cups?
Iraq is the most successful Arab Cup winners. They’ve won the competition a record 4 times.
After Iraq, Saudi Arabia is the next most successful team in the FAC, having won the tournament twice.
See below a list of the other teams who have won the tournament and how many they’ve won.
| SN | Team | Tournament Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iraq | 4 |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia | 2 |
| 3 | Tunisia | 1 |
| 4 | Egypt | 1 |
| 5 | Morocco | 1 |
| 6 | Algeria | 1 |
What’s The Point of The Arab Cup?
There are so many football tournaments for national teams. Good examples are AFCON, UEFA Nations League, Finalissima, World Cup, Euro Cup, etc.
You may now wonder; what’s the point of the FIFA Arab Cup?
Well, as mentioned earlier, the tournament is specifically designed for countries in Asia and Africa that are part of the “Arab states”.
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Is the Arab Cup recognized by FIFA?
Yes, the FIFA Arab Cup is recognized by FIFA.
Since 2021, FIFA started to organize and be part of the tournament.
FAQs Answered
Algeria won the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. In the final, Algeria beat Tunisia 2-0 after extra time to lift the trophy for the very first time.
The first edition FIFA Arab Cup took place in 1963. However, in 2021, the Tournament was renamed after FIFA and the first edition under FIFA took place in the same year.
The Arab Cup did not take place in 2020. Refer to the table above to see a breakdown of every edition of the tournament.
According Arabia Weather, the FIFA Arab Cup is made of pure gold.
Iraq has won the Arab Cup the most with 4 tournament wins. Saudi Arabia is the next best team with two Arab Cup wins. Refer to the above table for complete breakdown.
Conclusion
The Arab Cup is yet another national team tournament. But it is designed for only nations that are members of the “Arab states“.
In summary, Iraq has won the Arab Cup (6) more than any other nation.
Over the years, there has been no consistent pattern of how often or when the tournament should hold. So, it is difficult to accurately say when the next edition would take place.
A big competition like the World Cup takes place every 4 years because it has a good structural organization. This cannot be said about the Arab.
All in all, the Arab would have to improve on all fronts in order to be taken more seriously or attract more suitors.
Further Reading:
- FIFA Ranking: How FIFA Ranks Each Country Every Month
- What Is The Point Of The UEFA Nations League?
- What Trophy Is Finalissima? The In-Depth Overview
- Most Capped International Footballers – The Most Complete List
- What Is Financial Fair Play In Football? [The Definitive Guide]
