'The Blue' Faces Saudi Arabia Tomorrow... In the Launch of the 'Veterans Gulf Cup'
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia meet tomorrow in the opening match of the tournament held in Qatar, featuring eight Gulf national teams.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Kuwait will face Saudi Arabia at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, at the Saud bin Abdulrahman Stadium, in the opening match of their campaign in Group 1 of the second edition of the GCC Senior Players Football Cup “Qatar 2026.” The tournament is organized by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Football Association in collaboration with the Local Organizing Committee in Qatar, running from October 30 to November 5, with eight national teams participating.
The tournament draw placed defending champions Iraq, holders of the first edition’s title, in Group 1 alongside Kuwait (“the Blues”), Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Group 2 features host nation Qatar, along with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Yemen.
In addition to the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia match, three other games will be played tomorrow. Qatar will kick off their campaign against Bahrain at 5:30 p.m. at the Grand Hamad Stadium, which will also host the Group 2 clash between the United Arab Emirates and Yemen at 7:00 p.m.
In Group 1, Iraq will begin their title defense against Oman at 7:00 p.m. at the Saud bin Abdulrahman Stadium.
On Saturday, four matches will take place: Kuwait will face Iraq at 5:30 p.m., and Saudi Arabia will play Oman at 7:00 p.m. in Group 1. In Group 2, Qatar will meet Yemen at 5:30 p.m., and Bahrain will face the United Arab Emirates at 7:00 p.m.
According to the tournament regulations, matches consist of two halves of 20 minutes each, with unlimited substitutions allowed. In knockout stages, if a match ends in a draw after regular time, it will proceed directly to a penalty shootout.
The two semi-finals are scheduled for next Tuesday at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, with the final to be held next Thursday at the Saud bin Abdulrahman Stadium.
The GCC Football Association aims, through organizing the second edition, to build on the tournament’s success and strengthen its status as a sporting gathering that brings together former Gulf football stars, fostering bonds of brotherhood and connection among them, while also evoking the rich footballing heritage of achievements and memories created by generations of players in the history of the Gulf tournaments.
