Emir's Cup Remains Unchanged, Crown Prince's Tournament Under New Format

Sources close to Al-Jarida revealed that the Kuwait Cup, sponsored by the Amir, will continue next season (2026-2027) under the same format used in the previous two seasons. The tournament will feature a seeded draw and a single-elimination system from the first round through to the final, with 16 teams participating out of 18. The teams finishing 17th and 18th will play a playoff, with the winner facing the 16th-placed team to determine who advances to the main stage. It is worth noting that the previous edition featured strong matches, culminating in Kuwait’s title win, while other clubs aim to change the landscape this season.

As for the Crown Prince Cup, a new format has been introduced, allowing the top four teams in the Zain Premier League standings to qualify directly for the quarter-finals. These teams are Kuwait, Al-Arabi, Kazma, and Al-Qadsia. The remaining clubs, ranked from fifth to fourteenth, will be divided into three groups, alongside the winners of two playoffs involving teams ranked 15th to 18th. Group matches will be played in a single round-robin format, with the group winners and the best runner-up advancing to the quarter-finals. A seeded draw will determine matchups against the top four teams, after which the tournament will proceed with a single-elimination format until the final. Kuwait won the title last season, followed by Al-Arabi as runners-up, with Kazma and Al-Qadsia finishing third and fourth, respectively.

Regarding the Zain Premier League, the playoff system for the third tier, which previously divided teams into champion and relegation groups, has been abolished. The First Division will feature only six clubs following the cancellation of relegation last season. The competition will be structured into four sections, with the venues to be determined later by the competitions management.