Arab Cup: Saudi Arabia vs. UAE Match Canceled Due to Severe Weather

The FIFA Arab Cup third-place playoff between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in Doha was canceled on Thursday due to severe weather conditions.

According to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the referee and match officials took this measure to ensure the safety of all players, spectators, and staff at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Heavy rain prevented play from resuming just as the second half was scheduled to begin. The match had remained scoreless through the end of the first half.

The relevant FIFA committee will decide in due course how the third-place honors will be awarded.

History of the Arab Cup

The Arab Cup has a long and storied history, originally conceived in 1957 by Lebanese journalist Nassif Majdalani and Lebanese Football Association official Izzat Al Turk. The inaugural tournament was held in 1963 in Beirut, Lebanon, with Tunisia emerging as the first-ever champions. Since its inception, the competition has been held sporadically, with Iraq holding the record for the most titles, having won the tournament four times during its early decades.

The tournament entered a new era in 2021 when it was officially brought under the FIFA umbrella. Hosted in Qatar as a precursor to the 2022 World Cup, the “FIFA Arab Cup” was revitalized to celebrate regional unity and showcase the Arab world’s footballing talent on a global stage. Following the success of the 2021 edition, FIFA formalized the tournament as a recurring event, scheduling future editions in Qatar for 2025, 2029, and 2033.