• Stunning Al Bayt Stadium to hold the opening match between hosts Qatar and Bahrain
• Fans will be able to attend more than one match per day during the group stage
• Visa cardholders have an exclusive ticket presale window starting tomorrow

The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™ will be hosted in six striking stadiums and will offer fans the chance to attend more than one match per day during the group stage, while getting a glimpse of what to expect one year later at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. During the first FIFA pan-Arab football tournament, spectators and competitors alike will experience the welcoming hospitality of Qatar, as 16 teams from across the Arab world take to the pitch between Tuesday, 30 November and Saturday, 18 December 2021.

The stunning Al Bayt Stadium, inspired by traditional Arab tents, will host the opening match between Qatar and Bahrain, as well as the final. Al Thumama Stadium, based on the design of a form of traditional Arab headwear, and Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, the first FIFA World Cup™ stadium that will be fully dismantled and repurposed after the event, will be two other brand-new venues that will be showcased and tested during the tournament. Ahmad Bin Ali, Education City and Al Janoub stadiums, all built from scratch in preparation for 2022, complete the line-up of magnificent FIFA Arab Cup™ venues.

Fans wishing to witness the action up close will be able to sign up for tickets as of tomorrow, Tuesday, 3 August. Starting at 12:00 AST/11:00 CET, Visa cardholders will have an exclusive opportunity to apply for tickets via FIFA.com during the Visa Presale for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021.

During the first period of sales phase 1, from Tuesday, 3 August to Tuesday, 17 August at 12:00 AST/11:00 CET, Visa cardholders will be given priority to submit their ticket applications. During this sales period, it will make no difference whether they submit their applications on the first day, the last day or any time in between, as all applications will have the same chance of being successful. In cases where the number of tickets applied for exceeds the available inventory, tickets will be allocated by a random selection draw process. All successful, partially successful and unsuccessful applicants will be duly notified of the outcome of their applications by mid-September.

Sales phase 1 will conclude with the period from Tuesday, 28 September to Tuesday, 12 October, during which tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Finally, the last-minute sales phase will start on Tuesday, 2 November and run until the end of the tournament.

A selection of affordable tickets will be available, with prices ranging from QAR 25 for a category 4 ticket (residents only) for the group matches to QAR 245 for a category 1 ticket for the final. Fans will have the opportunity to buy individual match tickets or team-specific ticket series. A full overview of the sales phases and ticket prices will be available on FIFA.com/tickets.

Visa, the Official Payment Services Partner of FIFA, is the preferred payment method for fan ticket purchases for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021.

Regional talent on display

Twenty-three national teams were invited to participate, with seven out of 14 advancing from the round of qualifying matches to meet hosts Qatar and the eight highest-ranked nations, who qualified directly. The 16 teams will now compete in a group stage, followed by knockout matches for a total of 32 games played over 19 days.

As the tournament will take place at the same time of the year as football’s global showpiece in 2022, fans and teams will enjoy mild temperatures, ranging between 15°C and 24°C. Similarly, as in the FIFA World Cup next year, the host country’s compact nature will offer minimal travel distances between venues and an exciting match schedule, allowing fans to purchase selected tickets for more than one match per day during the group stage while ensuring sufficient travel times between kick-offs.

Fan ID

All fans will be required to have an approved Fan ID application number to enter the State of Qatar and the stadiums. All fans will be required to collect the physical Fan ID smart card from the Fan ID Service Centre.

Further details on the application process will be communicated in due course.

The Fan IDs are operated and controlled by the government of the State of Qatar. FIFA is not responsible for the application process, issuance and/or use of the Fan IDs.

COVID-19 measures

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and as was the case for the FIFA Club World Cup 2020™ and the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 qualifiers held in June 2021, the host country will provide the required safeguards to protect the health and safety of all involved in the competition. Attendees must follow the travel advice from the Qatari authorities and the guidance from the Ministry of Public Health.

Additional information on COVID-19 safety measures to access the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 stadiums will be available on FIFA.com. To date, ticket holders are required to be fully vaccinated.