5 reasons that increase the value of the 2025 Arab Cup

Athletes have confirmed that the Arab Cup Championship has witnessed, in recent years, a noticeable increase in its technical importance and value, through five reasons related to official recognition from FIFA, financial prizes, high organization, and the participation of elite Arab teams, in addition to its transformation from a mere regional tournament into an essential preparation station for the teams qualifying for the World Cup.

They explained that the current edition, which is being held in the Qatari capital, Doha (Qatar 2025), and continues until the 18th of this month, comes at an important technical time, which gives it double weight, in addition to the public and media momentum accompanying it, and the high-level organization that reflects the rapid development of Arab football.

The athletes told Emirates Al-Youm that the tournament has become a real showcase for talent discovery, and an official event recognized by the International Federation (FIFA), which raises its competitive value and increases the teams’ desire to participate and provide the best level.

Experts agree that the ideal environment provided by the host country is one of the most important reasons for the success of the tournament and its high value. In this context, Qatar continues to strengthen its position as the most prominent host country for the tournament, having organized the 1998 and 2021 editions, and is preparing to host the next three editions in the years 2025, 2029 and 2033 after FIFA granted Qatar the right to host these editions.

Experts agree that the proximity of the World Cup makes the Arab Cup a decisive stop for the teams qualifying for the World Cup, as it gives the technical staff an opportunity to test the latest ideas and evaluate the readiness of the players before participating in the World Cup finals, in addition to the possibility of discovering new elements that may make a difference in the global competition.

The total prize money announced by the Organizing Committee of the Arab Cup 2025, amounting to $36.5 million, exceeded its counterparts in the African Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup, as the total prize money for the African Cup of Nations, which Morocco is hosting during the period from December 21 to January 18, 2026, is $32 million. It also exceeded the total value of the prizes allocated to the Asian Cup that was held in Qatar last year, and amounted to $15 million.

FIFA accreditation

The former Jordanian national team coach and lecturer at the International Federation of Association Football, Nihad Souqar, confirmed that the great value of the tournament stems first from the specificity of the place, and said: “Qatar has proven its ability to host major tournaments with the highest levels of organization, and the adoption of the tournament by the International Federation (FIFA) has given it new momentum that has placed it in the ranks of official tournaments that enjoy global follow-up, especially in light of the participation of the most prominent North African and Western Asian teams, in addition to the presence of a large number of teams qualifying for the World Cup, which is “This makes the event an essential part of the preparation program for the World Cup.”

Souqar added: “The tournament represents a final stop to try out plans and playing methods before competing in international competitions. It also gives a golden opportunity to players who have not received a sufficient number of international matches. Despite the negativity of the absence of some professionals due to the tournament being held outside of FIFA, this is considered an opportunity to involve new players and highlight new cadres.”

For his part, the former national team captain, Abdul Rahman Muhammad, explained that the success of the last edition in Qatar was the real turning point that restored the sparkle of the tournament, and prompted the Arab teams to participate strongly in this edition.

He said: “The large financial prizes received by the participating teams, not just the winners, in addition to adopting the tournament under the umbrella of (FIFA) puts it in an official mold that requires the teams to present their best, even though some North African teams may not be able to include their main players, due to the obligations of European clubs, which is something beyond the control of the national federations.”

Great value

The former star of the Egyptian national team and Zamalek, Mahmoud Fathallah, agrees with this proposition, stressing that the tournament has always been of great value to the teams, but today it has become more influential after the direct supervision of the International Federation over it, and after the great organizational level provided by Qatar. Fathallah said: “The fans play an important role in raising the value of the tournament, as the teams receive great support that enhances the spirit of competition and gives the players additional motivation, in addition to the financial prizes that give the tournament another dimension and motivate the federations to participate with the best available elements.”

Art platform

The Tunisian coach and technical analyst, Noureddine Obaidi, also stressed that the tournament has become a high-level artistic platform, given the great value it achieved in the last edition, and the direct supervision of FIFA over it, in addition to the high financial prizes that attract the teams to compete strongly.

He said: “The failure of some teams to participate with all their stars is due to the tournament not being held during FIFA days only, which deprives some teams of European league players, especially Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia, but that does not diminish the strength of participation or the seriousness of the teams in striving for the title.”

Al-Obaidi added that the importance of the tournament increases even more for the African teams, due to the approaching date of the African Cup of Nations, which makes it an ideal preparation station to test the readiness of the players before the continental tournament, in addition to giving the technical staff an opportunity to experiment with new playing methods and evaluate promising elements that may join the final rosters for the tournament.

He believes that the direct contact between the North African teams and the best West Asian teams provides a rich technical experience, and gives the African teams a real opportunity to measure their level of development before competing in the upcoming continental competition.

Al-Obaidi stressed that all teams, despite their absences, enter the tournament in the spirit of competing for the title, and that the current version will be one of the strongest technically thanks to this combination of continental preparation and Arab competition.

. $36.5 million total prize money for the Arab Cup “Qatar 2025”.

. 7 million and 155 thousand dollars will be received by the team that wins the Arab Cup.

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