Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Sudani inaugurated the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup in the southeastern province of Basra on Friday evening welcoming the guests and the participating teams. Large number of dignitaries, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi and several senior Iraqi and Arab sports officials joined the football fans at opening ceremony at the Palm Trunk stadium. The stadium, with a capacity of 65,000 spectators, witnessed various lyrical performances related to the legacy of Basra and its incredible history. The tournament's first group includes the Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen teams, and their matches will play at the Basra International Stadium. In contrast, the second group includes the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait teams, and their matches will play at Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium. Kuwait tops the list of the most teams that have won the title ten times, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iraq achieved it three times, Oman and the UAE won it twice, and Bahrain once. The Arabian Gulf Cup is this region's most prominent sporting event. It has enjoyed a large audience and intense competition since its inception and has witnessed remarkable development at all technical, organizational, and media levels. The tournament began in 1970 with only four teams: Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. The number increased to five teams in the second tournament, bringing the third tournament to six teams. In 1976, the tournament witnessed an increase in the number of teams to seven, and with the developments of the Gulf Cup, the number of participating teams in Gulf 17 reached eight teams with the addition of Yemen. After the number of teams increased, the tournament matches were organized by dividing them into two groups, with the first and second of each group advancing to the semi-finals and then qualifying for the final match. — KUNA
