FIFA President confirms 22 national teams will participate in FIFA Arab Cup 2021 in Qatar

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that 22 national teams from the Arab region have signed up to participate in the FIFA Arab Cup, which will be staged from 1 to 18 December 2021. Speaking during a visit to Lusail Stadium, which will host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Final, the FIFA President stated that he expected the regional tournament in 2021 to unite millions of football fans from across the Middle East and Arab world. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “We are delighted that all 22 teams from across the Arab world have agreed to take part in the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, which will be held in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums, and we are looking forward to seeing the region’s best teams battle it out to see which nation will become champion. Through football, this tournament will unite over 450 million people from across the region, and we are confident that the FIFA Arab Cup will help to build excitement across the region as we edge ever nearer to hosting the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world in 2022.”

The tournament will be delivered by FIFA, the Qatar Football Association, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC. Seen as a vital opportunity to test operations and facilities ahead of Qatar 2022, the tournament will take place in the same timeslot as the FIFA World Cup. The finals of both the FIFA Arab Cup and FIFA World Cup will take place exactly one year apart – each on 18 December, Qatar National Day, which is a public holiday.