U-17 Gulf Cup Qatar 2026 to kick off in Doha

The second edition of the U-17 Gulf Cup, to be held in Qatar from 16 October to 4 November 2026, is set to commence on Friday. Ten teams will participate in 23 matches, marking the largest edition in the tournament's history. Organized by Qatar's Local Organising Committee in collaboration with the Gulf Football Federation, the official draw in September placed the teams into two groups of five.

The host nation, Qatar, joins Group A alongside the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and China. Meanwhile, defending champions Saudi Arabia are in Group B with Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, and Egypt. China and Egypt, as guest teams, will provide valuable experience for the Gulf side against international opponents.

The opening fixture will see Qatar take on China at Grand Hamad Stadium on Friday at 17:45 Doha time. The UAE will face Bahrain in another Group A match at Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium, kicking off at 20:00. Saudi Arabia will start their campaign on Saturday, 17 October, against Egypt at Grand Hamad Stadium, with a 17:45 kick-off. Iraq will play Yemen at Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium, starting at 20:00.

The tournament will conclude on 4 November with the Final at Grand Hamad Stadium, also at 17:45. In line with competition regulations, matches that end in a draw during the Semi-Finals and Final will proceed directly to a penalty shoot-out.

Tickets for the matches are priced at QAR 15 and can be purchased through roadtoqatar.qa. Accessible tickets are available for fans with disabilities or limited mobility, which can be requested by emailing accessibility.tickets@sc.qa. For the latest tournament updates, follow @roadtoqatar on major social media platforms, @gffofficial on Instagram, and @AGCFF on X.