Reports have surfaced about a potential historic shift in the Gulf Cup tournament format, with the inclusion of Arab national teams from outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
The Gulf Cup tournament is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia this September.
The Qatari newspaper Al-Arab reported that the Gulf Football Federation is considering expanding participation in the 2026 Gulf Cup to raise the tournament's technical level and enhance its marketing value.
The newspaper added, "The proposed plan includes inviting prominent Arab national teams such as Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, and Algeria."
However, the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, citing its own sources, confirmed that reports of expanding the number of participating teams in the Gulf Cup are inaccurate.
The sources stated, "The senior Gulf Cup will remain as is, with no additional teams being added. The expansion of participation will be limited to the Gulf Cup tournaments for youth categories, not the senior level."
It is worth noting that the Bahraini national team is the reigning champion of the 26th Gulf Cup, having won the previous edition held in Kuwait, defeating Oman 2-1 in the final.
A historic shift in the Gulf Cup tournament system
