22 national teams to take part in FIFA Arab Cup 2021 in Qatar, FIFA President confirms
Qatar has maintained its position as a powerful hub of global sports in the region.
Having already hosted some of the most prestigious sporting events in recent years, the country has had a sharp focus on expanding its portfolio with more thrilling tournaments of repute.
Earlier in June this year, Qatar announced that it will be the stage for a pan-Arab tournament in December 2021.
Now, with a little over a year to go until the tournament goes underway in the country, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that a total of 22 national teams from Arab nations have signed up for the tournament.
Infantino said this during a tour of the Lusail Stadium yesterday.
The FIFA Arab Cup 2021 will bring together millions of football fans from across the Middle East and the Arab world.
The tournament will be held from December 1 to 18, 2021 in the majority of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums. It will see a total of 32 matches over 18 days.
The final of this tournament will be held exactly one year before the scheduled kick-off of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final.
The Asian Football Confederation nations who will compete in the tournament include Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
The Confederation of African Football nations who will compete in the tournament comprise Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia.
“We are delighted that all 22 teams from across the Arab world have agreed to take part in the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, and we are looking forward to seeing the region’s best teams battle it out to see which nation will become champion," Infantino said.
"Through football, this tournament will unite over 450 million people from across the region, and we are confident 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," he added.
Qatar Football Association President Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al Thani commented, "Fans from across the region will be treated to the same world-class experience that awaits fans from around the world when they flock to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. We welcome our friends from the Middle East and the Arab world to join us in what will be an important milestone and a final test of our preparations, only one year away from us hosting the first FIFA World Cup in the region."
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Cover, Inline Images Credit and Source: SC
