Doha, November 28 (QNA) - The Qatari national team will kick off the 11th edition of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 when it faces Palestine next Monday at Al Bayt Stadium, marking its third appearance in the tournament's opening match in its fourth participation historically, following the editions of 1985, 1998, and 2021.

The historical record of opening matches across the ten previous editions since the tournament's inception more than six decades ago, specifically the first edition held in Lebanon in 1963, is rich with numbers and curiosities that serve as a reference to preserve the legacy of those who marked these milestone moments.

Kuwait holds the record for the most appearances in opening matches, having played the first match in five previous editions out of the eight tournaments it participated in historically. Kuwait featured in the inaugural matches of the 1963, 1964, 1966, 2002, and 2012 editions.

In the past ten editions, the host nation lost its opening match only once, in the 1964 edition held in Kuwait, when Iraq defeated the host 1-0.

This matchup was repeated in the subsequent 1966 edition in Baghdad, marking the only repeated fixture in the history of opening matches, where Iraq again triumphed over Kuwait 3-1.

Interestingly, the two opening victories achieved by Iraq in the 1966 and 1994 editions were followed by Iraq eventually claiming the championship in both tournaments. Iraq also won the title in 1985 and 1988, despite not playing in the opening match of those editions, making it the nation with the most Arab Cup titles, totaling four.

The Qatari national team has also left its mark in opening match history, winning both of its previous openers: defeating Libya 2-1 in the opening match of the 1998 edition hosted at home, and beating Bahrain 1-0 in the opening of the 10th edition held in Doha in 2021.

Qatar now aims to claim a third consecutive opening victory when it meets Palestine in the opening match of the 2025 edition at Al Bayt Stadium next Monday.

This pursuit would break the tie with Saudi Arabia, which also won two opening matches, beating Jordan 4-0 in 1985 and Kuwait by the same scoreline in 2012.

However, a common thread between Qatar and Saudi Arabia is that an ideal start did not guarantee tournament victory, as Saudi Arabia's two titles in 1998 and 2002 were achieved without playing in the opening match.

Jordan participated in the opening match twice but failed to win on either occasion, losing 4-0 to Saudi Arabia in 1985 and drawing 0-0 with Bahrain in the 1988 edition at home. Syria appeared once in an opening match in the seventh edition in 1992, hosted on its soil, drawing 0-0 with Palestine.

Libya played its only opening match in 1998 in Doha, losing 2-1 to Qatar, while Morocco debuted in an opening match in 2002, drawing 1-1 with Kuwait.

From a goal-scoring perspective, the ten opening matches have produced a total of 30 goals, averaging three goals per game.

The largest victory occurred when Lebanon defeated Kuwait 6-0 in the first edition in 1963. One own goal was recorded by Jordan's Hussam Azmi against his own team in the 1985 opener against Saudi Arabia, which ended 4-0 in favor of the Saudis.

In the most recent edition in 2021, hosted by Qatar, the opening match between Qatar and Bahrain at Al Bayt Stadium ended 1-0 in favor of Qatar.

That edition also witnessed a first in tournament history, as four matches were held on the first day, including two prior to the official opening: Tunisia defeated Mauritania 5-1, while Iraq and Oman drew 1-1. (QNA)