The Qatar national football team is set to host a major international youth competition with the Gulf U-17 Cup kicking off in October. The local organizing committee in Qatar, in coordination with the Gulf Football Association, has announced details for the tournament which will be held from October 16 to November 4, 2026.
The tournament features ten national teams. Eight are from Gulf Football Association member nations: the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, and Yemen. They are joined by two guest nations, Egypt and China. This diversity provides a valuable opportunity for young players to face strong and varied competition.
The draw ceremony is scheduled for Thursday via video link from the Gulf Football Association headquarters at 12:00 PM Doha time. Teams will be distributed across five seeding levels based on their classification from the previous tournament. Level 1 includes Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Level 2 features the UAE and Iraq. Level 3 comprises Kuwait and Oman. Level 4 contains Yemen and Bahrain. Level 5 includes Egypt and China. The draw will place the teams into two groups of five teams each.
Qatar, as the host nation, will head Group 1. Saudi Arabia, as the defending champions, will head Group 2. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. The winner of Group 1 will face the runner-up of Group 2, and the winner of Group 2 will meet the runner-up of Group 1. If any knockout match ends in a draw after regular time, the winner will be determined directly by a penalty shootout.
This tournament arrives at a critical time for the senior Qatar national team. They have scored only two goals while conceding ten, resulting in a negative eight goal difference. The team has lost its last two matches, with the most recent result a 3-1 defeat to Bosnia & Herzegovina on June 24. The full results record can be viewed on our stats page.
The Gulf U-17 Championship is a vital opportunity to prepare a new generation of Qatari talent. It enhances interaction and competition among teams and supports cooperation between member associations. The larger goal is to develop players capable of advancing Gulf football at continental and international levels, especially with Qatar preparing to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup later in the same year. This event provides valuable technical and competitive experience ahead of upcoming international obligations.
The first edition of the tournament was also hosted by Qatar in 2025. Saudi Arabia won the title by defeating the UAE 2-0 in the final held at Hamad Al-Kabar Stadium. Now, Qatar will look to use home advantage in this second edition. This comes just weeks before the senior team hosts Bahrain in a World Cup qualifier on September 24. The group standings can be followed on our standings page and details of the next fixture are on our fixtures page.
