August 24: Date for the Gulf Club Champions League draw

The Gulf Football Union announced on Tuesday that the draw for the third edition of the Gulf Club Champions League for the 2026-2027 season will be held on August 24 at 12:00 PM Doha time. The competition is scheduled to kick off on October 13, 2026.

In a statement, the Gulf Football Union confirmed that the draw ceremony will be conducted via video conference. The 12 participating teams will be divided into three groups of four. Under the league format, the top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams across the three groups, will advance to the quarter-finals, which will be played on a home-and-away basis, in accordance with the competition’s regulations.

The union clarified that the third edition is expected to witness the largest participation in the tournament’s history since its inception, following the decision to increase the number of clubs from eight to twelve. This move reflects the league’s development and the expansion of participation among member federations, contributing to raising the competitive level and enhancing the competition’s standing in the region.

The list of participating clubs includes Kazma from Kuwait, Al-Ettifaq and Neom from Saudi Arabia, Al-Nassr and Ajman from the United Arab Emirates, Al-Duhail and Qatar from Qatar, Erbil and Al-Zawraa from Iraq, Al-Shabab from Oman, Al-Riffa from Bahrain, and Shabab Hadhramaut from Yemen.

The union noted that announcing the draw date early aims to provide sufficient time for clubs and national federations to complete their technical and organizational preparations before the league begins, thereby enhancing team readiness and contributing to higher competition quality.

The qualifiers for the third edition are scheduled to start on October 13 and will run until April 30, 2027, with 12 clubs representing the member national federations taking part.