Palestine defeats Qatar, claiming first Arab Cup victory since 1966

The FIFA Arab Cup kicked off with a huge upset on Monday as Palestine defeated the hosts Qatar in a nail-biting opener.

A spectacular opening ceremony was held at Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar on Monday, December 1, 2025. A total of 61,475 fans were present in the stadium to witness the ceremony built around themes of unity, peace and renewal.

After the ceremony, Palestine delivered one of the biggest surprises on the opening day of the tournament, scoring their first Arab Cup victory in nearly 6 decades. Palestine won their last against North Yemen in 1966.

Both of the teams were unable to score a goal during the 90 minutes game time. Qatar dominated the possession for most of the match but were unable to get a breakthrough.

During the stoppage time, exactly at the 95th minute in the game, Qatar’s defender Sultan Al Brake accidentally scored an own goal, resulting in an iconic victory for the guests.

Palestine celebrated the goal with Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature celebration “Suiii”.

In another Group A clash on the opening day, Syria defeated Tunisia by 1-0. Now, Syria and Palestine, now top the points chart in the group.

Qatar is now set to face Syria on Thursday, November 4, 2025.

This year’s FIFA Arab Cup is featuring 16 teams in four different groups. It is scheduled to run from December 1 to December 18, 2025.