Saudi Arabia and UAE: Who Will Be the Champion of "GCC 27"?

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are set to compete for a long-awaited title today at the Inma Stadium within King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, in the final of the 27th edition of the Gulf Cup.

On home soil and in front of their fans, Saudi Arabia reached the final for the first time since 2019, defeating Qatar in the semi-finals via a penalty shootout. The Green Team will have the opportunity to reclaim the title that has eluded them since 2004, bringing their total to four championships and moving them into second place on the list of most successful national teams, tied with Iraq and six titles behind the Blue Team (10 titles, the last in 2010).

Meanwhile, the UAE aims to secure their third title after a 13-year wait, drawing inspiration from their strong performances in the current edition of the tournament. Their last appearance on the podium was at Gulf Cup 21 in 2013 in Bahrain, when they won their third title (their first being in 2007).

Greek coach Yorgos Donis praised the technical level and tactical discipline displayed by his players throughout the tournament, particularly in defense, noting that their goalkeeping record remained clean due to teamwork and significant effort.

On the other side, the UAE, who defeated Oman 1-0 in the semi-finals, did not anticipate such an ideal presence under the leadership of their new Croatian coach, Zlatko Dalic. Dalic took charge of the White Team just a week before the start of Gulf 27, yet managed to finish top of the group stage with seven points from two wins and a draw, scoring eight goals for the first time since the tournament adopted the group stage format.

The White Team also maintained clean sheets in three of their four matches so far, conceding only once in a 1-1 draw against Qatar in the final group stage match, during which Dalic fielded a reserve side after securing their place in the semi-finals. The final will be the toughest test for Dalic’s squad, who acknowledged that their opponents “have added strength from playing in front of their home crowd.”

Dalic, who is well acquainted with Saudi football from his tenure at Al-Faisaly and Al-Hilal between 2010 and 2013, said: “We respect the Saudi national team greatly; they are strong and will play in front of their fans, so the match will be very difficult. I expect a strong contest and a stadium full of supporters.”

The most successful coach in his country’s history faces a personal challenge: overcoming the bad luck associated with finals in major tournaments, having finished as runners-up in the 2016 AFC Champions League with Al Ain, and in the 2018 World Cup and the 2023 UEFA Nations League with Croatia.