Doha, December 08 (QNA) - The Arabian Gulf Cup football tournaments, set to enter their 26th edition in Kuwait from December 21 to January 3, have forged a rich legacy over 55 years since their inception in 1970. The tournament has become deeply rooted in history, leaving a lasting impact.

The story began with the vision of the late Prince Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, which was translated into action by the Bahrain Football Association after presenting it to the former FIFA President, Sir Stanley Rous, during the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. This vision materialized in March 1970 with the inaugural Gulf Cup, marking the beginning of a historic football journey celebrated with triumphs, iconic players, and memorable statistics.

The first Gulf Cup concluded on April 3, 1970, with four participating teams: Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait claimed the title, Bahrain finished as runners-up, and the tournament featured six matches with 19 goals scored. Kuwait's Jawad Khalaf and Mohammad Al-Masoud shared the top scorer title with three goals each, while Qatar's Khalid Blan was named Best Player and Saudi Arabia's Ahmad Eid the Best Goalkeeper.

The second edition, held in Saudi Arabia in 1972, saw the addition of the UAE, bringing the number of teams to five. The tournament followed the same single-round league format as the first. Kuwait retained the title, Saudi Arabia secured second place, and six matches produced 25 goals. Saudi player Saeed Ghorab emerged as the top scorer with five goals, while Kuwait's Fareeq Ibrahim was named Best Player, and Saudi goalkeeper Ahmad Eid retained his Best Goalkeeper title.

The third Gulf Cup in 1974, hosted by Kuwait, welcomed Oman as the sixth participant. Kuwait clinched their third consecutive title, allowing them to keep the trophy permanently. A new trophy was introduced in the fourth edition, contributed by Qatar. Kuwait defeated Saudi Arabia to secure the championship once more. The tournament featured ten matches and 40 goals, with Kuwaits Jassem Yaqoub crowned the top scorer with six goals. Qatars Mohammad Ghanem won Best Player, and Kuwaits Ahmad Al-Tarabulsi was named Best Goalkeeper.

Doha hosted the fourth edition in 1976, marking Iraqs debut, which increased the participating teams to seven. Kuwait continued their dominance with a fourth consecutive title, while Iraq finished as runners-up in their first appearance. The tournament included 22 matches with a record-breaking 84 goals. Kuwaits Jassem Yaqoub retained the top scorer title with nine goals, Iraqs Ali Kazem was named Best Player, and Bahrains Hammoud Sultan won Best Goalkeeper.

The fifth Gulf Cup, held in Iraq in 1979, saw Iraq end Kuwaits reign, claiming their first title. Kuwait settled for second place. The seven participating teams played 21 matches with 70 goals scored. Iraqs Hussein Saeed became the top scorer with ten goals, a record for a single edition, while Bahrains Hadi Ahmed was named Best Player, and Iraqs Raad Hammoudi earned Best Goalkeeper.

Subsequent editions saw Iraq and Kuwait alternately winning titles over the next five tournaments. Kuwait triumphed in the sixth edition in the UAE in 1982, where Bahrain finished second. Seven teams played 15 matches with 38 goals scored. Four players shared the top scorer title with three goals each, and UAEs Saeed Salbukh won Best Goalkeeper, while the Best Player award was withheld.

Iraq reclaimed the title in the seventh edition in Oman in 1984, with Qatar finishing as runners-up for the first time. The tournament featured 22 matches and 46 goals. Iraqs Hussein Saeed won the top scorer title for the second time with seven goals and shared the Best Player award with Omans Ghulam Khamis. Iraqs Fattah Nsaif was named Best Goalkeeper.

The eighth Gulf Cup in Bahrain in 1986 marked Kuwait’s sixth title, allowing them to keep the trophy permanently for the second time. A new trophy was introduced in the ninth edition. The tournament saw 21 matches, 53 goals, anIn 2013, Bahrain hosted the 21st edition, which saw the UAE clinch their second title after beating Iraq 2–1 in the final. Kuwait defeated Bahrain to secure third place. The tournament featured 26 goals in 16 matches, with UAE’s Ahmed Khalil, Abdulhadi Khamees, and Iraq’s Younis Mahmoud sharing the top scorer honor (3 goals each). Omar Abdulrahman (UAE) was named the best player, and Iraq’s Noor Sabri was the best goalkeeper.d UAE’s Fahd Khamis becoming the top scorer with six goals. Kuwait’s Muaid Al-Haddad was named Best Player, and Bahrain’s Mohammad Saleh Best Goalkeeper.

The ninth Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia in 1988 continued the alternating champions pattern. Iraq won the title, claiming Saudi Arabia’s new trophy, while UAE finished second for the second consecutive time. The tournament included 21 matches and 34 goals. Iraq’s Ahmad Radhi and UAE’s Zuhair Bakhit shared the top scorer title with four goals each, while Iraq’s Habeeb Jafar was named Best Player, and Oman’s Yousef Obaid Best Goalkeeper.

The tenth edition, hosted by Kuwait in 1990, saw participation from only five teams due to Saudi Arabia’s non-participation and Iraq’s withdrawal. Kuwait won their seventh title, with Qatar finishing second. Ten matches produced 21 goals. Kuwait’s Mohammad Ibrahim was the top scorer with five goals, UAE’s Nasser Khamis won Best Player, and Bahrain’s Hammoud Sultan and Kuwait’s Samir Saeed shared the Best Goalkeeper award.

The 11th edition of the Gulf Cup, held in Qatar in 1992, was remarkable as it broke the long-standing dominance of Iraq and Kuwait. Qatar claimed its maiden title, entering the champions' list after a historic triumph in a tournament that featured six teams: Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Bahrain. Qatar’s Mubarak Mustafa shone as the tournament’s top scorer and best player with three goals, while Ahmed Khalil was named the best goalkeeper.

The 12th edition, hosted by the UAE in 1994, saw Saudi Arabia secure its first Gulf Cup title, with the UAE finishing as runners-up. The tournament, which featured 34 goals in 15 matches, witnessed Qatar’s Mahmoud Soufi and Saudi Arabia’s Fouad Anwar share the top scorer honor with four goals each. UAE’s Mohammed Ali Kesla was named the best player, and his teammate Mohsen Musabah won the best goalkeeper award.

In 1996, Oman hosted the 13th edition, where Kuwait reclaimed the title, marking their eighth triumph. Qatar finished second. Across 15 matches, 35 goals were scored, with Qatar’s Mohammed Salem Al Anzi emerging as the top scorer (4 goals). Kuwait’s Abdullah Wabran received the best player award, while Qatar’s Younis Ahmed was the best goalkeeper.

The 14th edition took place in Bahrain in 1998 and saw Kuwait retain the title for a record ninth time, defeating Saudi Arabia, the runners-up. A total of 40 goals were scored in 15 matches, with Kuwait’s Jassem Al-Huwaidi securing the top scorer title (9 goals). Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Deayea was the best goalkeeper, and Kuwait’s Badr Haji was named the best player.

In 2002, Saudi Arabia hosted the 15th edition, where they claimed their second Gulf Cup title, edging Qatar by a single point. Oman’s Hani Al-Dhabit emerged as the top scorer with five goals, Qatar’s Jaffal Rashid won the best player award, and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Deayea was the best goalkeeper.

The 16th edition, held in Kuwait from December 2003 to January 2004, marked Yemen’s debut, increasing the participants to seven. Saudi Arabia defended their title, securing their third and final Gulf Cup crown, while Bahrain finished second. The tournament saw 46 goals scored across 21 matches, with Bahrain’s Talal Youssef named the top scorer (5 goals) and best player. Oman’s Ali Al-Habsi earned the best goalkeeper title.

The 17th edition, hosted in Doha in late 2004, introduced significant changes, including an expansion to eight teams with Iraq’s return. The group-stage format led to intense competition, with Qatar winning their second title after defeating Oman in a penalty shootout (6–5) in the final. Bahrain secured third place. Across 16 matches, 50 goals were scored. Oman’s Imad Al-Hosni was the top scorer (4 goals), Bahrain’s Talal Youssef was the best player, and Ali Al-Habsi retained the best goalkeeper award.

The UAE hosted the 18th edition in early 2007, maintaining the group-stage format. The UAE won their first Gulf Cup title, defeating Oman 1–0 in the final. Over 15 matches, 34 goals were scored. Ismail Matar of the UAE won both the top scorer (5 goals) and best player awards, while Oman’s Ali Al-Habsi retained his best goalkeeper title for the third consecutive time.

In 2009, Oman hosted and won the 19th edition, claiming their first Gulf Cup after beating Saudi Arabia in a penalty shootout (6–5) following a goalless draw in the final. The tournament featured 31 goals in 15 matches. Oman’s Hassan Rabia was the top scorer (4 goals), Saudi Arabia’s Majed Al-Marshedi was the best player, and Ali Al-Habsi achieved his fourth consecutive best goalkeeper title.

The 20th edition took place in Yemen in late 2010, marking the first Gulf Cup hosted there. Kuwait ended a 12-year title drought, defeating Saudi Arabia 1–0 in extra time to claim their 10th and final title. Across 15 matches, 27 goals were scored, with Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa and Iraq’s Alaa Zahra sharing the top scorer award (3 goals each). Kuwait’s Fahad Al-Enezi was the best player, and Nawaf Al-Khaldi was the best goalkeeper.

In 2013, Bahrain hosted the 21st edition, which saw the UAE clinch their second title after beating Iraq 2–1 in the final. Kuwait defeated Bahrain to secure third place. The tournament featured 26 goals in 16 matches, with UAE’s Ahmed Khalil, Abdulhadi Khamees, and Iraq’s Younis Mahmoud sharing the top scorer honor (3 goals each). Omar Abdulrahman (UAE) was named the best player, and Iraq’s Noor Sabri was the best goalkeeper.

Saudi Arabia hosted the 22nd edition in late 2014, where Qatar claimed their third title, their first outside Doha, defeating the hosts 2–1 in the final. The UAE finished third. Over 16 matches, 33 goals were scored. UAE’s Ali Mabkhout was the top scorer (5 goals), Saudi Arabia’s Nawaf Al-Abed was the best player, and Qatar’s Qasem Burhan was the best goalkeeper.

The 23rd edition, held in Kuwait from late 2017 to early 2018, saw Oman win their second title after defeating the UAE in a penalty shootout (5–4) following a goalless draw in the final. Across 15 matches, 23 goals were scored. Five players shared the top scorer award (2 goals each), and Oman’s Ahmed Mubarak was named the best player. UAE’s Khalid Essa was the best goalkeeper.

The 24th edition, hosted in Doha in late 2019, saw Bahrain win their first Gulf Cup title by defeating Saudi Arabia 1–0 in the final. Over 15 matches, 45 goals were scored. UAE’s Ali Mabkhout won the top scorer award (5 goals), Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Otayf was the best player, and Fawaz Al-Qarni was the best goalkeeper.

The 25th and most recent edition took place in Basra in 2023, marking Iraq’s return as hosts after 44 years. Iraq claimed their fourth title, defeating Oman 3–2 in extra time in the final. Across 15 matches, 39 goals were scored. Iraq’s Ibrahim Bayesh and Ayman Hussein shared the top scorer title (3 goals each), with Bayesh also named the best player. Oman’s Ibrahim Al Mukhaini was the best goalkeeper.

Records and Statistics

Total matches played:388

Total goals scored: 969

Highest-scoring edition: 4th edition (84 goals)

Lowest-scoring edition: 1st edition (19 goals)

Record for most goals by a player in a single edition: Hussein Saeed (Iraq), 10 goals in the 5th edition

Historic top scorer: Jassem Yaacoub (Kuwait), 18 goals

Largest victory margin: Kuwait 8–0 Oman (4th edition)

(QNA)