The FIFA Arab Cup 2021 in numbers
- Draw for FIFA Arab Cup 2021™ will be held in Doha, Qatar this Tuesday
- 23 nations participating in tournament, which takes place at end of the year
- FIFA.com brings you a selection of pre-draw stats about the participants
Twenty-three countries will participate in the FIFA Arab Cup 2021™, the draw for which will be held at the Katara Opera House in Doha on Tuesday 27 April at 21:00 local time.
Matches will be played at six of the Qatar 2022™ venues, thereby providing the World Cup hosts the perfect opportunity to test facilities and operations one year before world football’s flagship event takes place in the Middle East and Arab world for the first time. The FIFA Arab Cup will kick off towards the end of this year and conclude on 18 December, Qatar’s National Day.
The 23 nations participating in the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 are: Qatar (host nation), Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Ahead of tomorrow’s draw, FIFA.com brings you some key stats about the participants.
Reigning CAF Africa Cup of Nations champions Algeria are unbeaten in their last 24 games, winning 17 and drawing 7 since their last defeat to Benin in October 2018.
En route to their maiden Asian title in 2019, Qatar scored 19 goals in seven matches. Nine of those came from tournament top-scorer Almoez Ali, who set a record for the most goals in a single edition of the competition.
Egypt have an impressive record in recent FIFA World Cup qualifiers, losing none of their last 18 home games. The Pharaohs are Africa’s most successful team, wining seven AFCON titles, including three in a row in 2006, 2008 and 2010.
The number of consecutive (official) games Lebanon won between March 2016 and September 2018. Over that period, the Cedars managed to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup for the first time (UAE 2019), having previously participated in the 2000 edition as hosts.
Kuwait are the most successful team in the history of the Arabian Gulf Cup, winning the title ten times, most recently in 2010. In 1980, Kuwait won the Asian Cup for the first time before qualifying for the 1982 FIFA World Cup Spain™.
Iraq have taken part in the AFC Asian Cup on nine occasions with their last appearance in 2019 being their seventh in a row. They claimed the title once, in 2007, with victory over Saudi Arabia in the final.
Tunisia qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ after going eight games undefeated, winning six and drawing two. The Eagles of Carthage were the first African side to win a game at a World Cup, defeating Mexico 3-1 on their maiden appearance in 1978.
Syria have appeared at the Asian Cup six times, most recently in 2019, but have yet to go beyond the group stage. They have made a perfect start to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, winning their first five games.
Saudi Arabia are one of the most successful Asian teams, participating at the World Cup five times, most recently at Russia 2018. Their best performance came at USA 1994, when they progressed to the last 16 in what was their maiden appearance at the global tournament.
Oman have graced four of the last five Asian Cups. Their best performance was in 2019, when they progressed from the group stage for the first time in their history.
Under Portuguese coach Helio Sousa, Bahrain had a remarkably successful 2019, winning two successive titles within five months: the WAFF Championship and their maiden Arabian Gulf Cup.
UAE qualified the FIFA World Cup in only their second attempt when they reached Italy 1990. They had participated in the qualifiers for the first time just four year earlier.
Morocco were the first African side to progress from the group stage at a World Cup, reaching the Round of 16 at Mexico 1986. The Atlas Lions have participated in the global showpiece on five occasions and were the first to win the African Nations Championship twice in a row.
