Baghdad: Iraq’s national U-17 team has been placed in Pot 2 ahead of the draw for the second edition of the Gulf Cup. The tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Qatar from October 16 to November 4.
According to Iraqi News Agency, a statement from the Gulf Cup Football Federation announced the lineup of participating teams for the second edition of the U-17 Gulf Cup. Ten teams are set to compete, marking the largest participation in the tournament’s history.
The statement added that the Local Organizing Committee in Qatar will manage and host the tournament in coordination with the Gulf Cup Football Federation, as part of ongoing preparations for the event’s kickoff next October.
It further noted that the new edition features teams from the Federation’s member associations-the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, and Yemen-alongside guest teams from Egypt and China. This initiative offers participants the chance to engage in strong, diverse competition, thereby enhancing their technical and competitive experience. Such exposure aids in better preparation for future international tournaments, most notably the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 for those teams that qualify.
The statement indicated that the draw ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, at 12:00 PM Doha time. It will take place at the Gulf Cup Football Federation headquarters via video conference, during which the tournament groups and competition path will be determined. The draw mechanism involves distributing the participating teams across five tiers, based on the rankings from the most recent tournament organized by the Gulf Federation for the same age group. However, the Competitions Committee reserves the right to adjust these tiers as it deems appropriate-specifically assigning two teams to each tier-should new teams participate for the first time. Tier 1 comprises Qatar and Saudi Arabia; Tier 2 includes the UAE and Iraq; Tier 3 features Kuwait and Oman; Tier 4 consists of Yemen and Bahrain; and Tier 5 includes Egypt and China.