Doha, October 18 (QNA) – The Gulf Football Federation (GFF), in collaboration with Qatar’s Local Organizing Committee (LOC), has announced that the second edition of the Gulf Cup for Veteran Players will take place from October 30, 2026 to November 5, 2026 in Qatar.

The star-studded tournament will bring together football legends from the eight Gulf federations, with 15 matches taking place across three venues: Grand Hamad Stadium, Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium and Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium.

Defending champions Iraq have been drawn into Group A, and will join Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait. Hosts Qatar are in Group B, alongside UAE, Bahrain and Yemen.

Tournament matches will consist of two halves of 20 minutes each, with no limits on substitutions. If a match in the knockout stage ends in a draw after 40 minutes, a penalty shoot-out will be played.

The tournament will get underway at Grand Hamad Stadium on October 30 when Qatar face Bahrain. The final will take place on November 5 at Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium.

Matches of the Gulf Cup for Veteran Players Qatar 2026 will take place during the rest days of the ongoing GFF U-17 Gulf Cup 2026 (16 October to 4 November), once again showcasing Qatar’s ability to host multiple sporting events at the same time.

Qatar’s exciting football calendar also includes the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026, which will take place from 19 November to 13 December at the state-of-the-art Competition Complex in Aspire Zone. (QNA)