2021 FIFA Arab Cup
The 2021 FIFA Arab Cup (Arabic: كأس العرب 2021) was the 10th edition of the Arab Cup, the Arab world's national team football tournament; it was the first edition under FIFA's jurisdiction, with previous editions having been organized by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA). It took place between 30 November and 18 December in Qatar as a prelude and test event to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which was also held in Qatar.
| كأس العرب 2021 Kaʾs al-ʿārab 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Qatar |
| Dates | 30 November – 18 December |
| Teams | 16 (from 2 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 6 (in 4 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Algeria (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Tunisia |
| Third place | Qatar |
| Fourth place | Egypt |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 32 |
| Goals scored | 83 (2.59 per match) |
| Attendance | 571,605 (17,863 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Seifeddine Jaziri (4 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Yacine Brahimi |
| Best goalkeeper | Raïs M'Bolhi |
| Fair play award | Morocco |
The tournament phase involved 16 teams, of which seven came through the qualifying round; all 23 teams competing were under the auspices of either the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) or the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Of the 16 teams, eight had also appeared in the 2012 edition; no team made their debut appearance at the Arab Cup. The 32 finals matches were played in six venues, which were also used for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Host nation Qatar beat Egypt in the third-place match. In the final, Algeria played Tunisia on 18 December at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. Algeria won the match 2–0 after extra time to claim their first Arab Cup.
Algerian player Yacine Brahimi was voted the tournament's best player, winning the Golden Ball. Tunisia's Seifeddine Jaziri won the Golden Boot as he scored the most goals during the tournament with four. Algeria's Raïs M'Bolhi won the Golden Glove, awarded to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets. It has been estimated that more than 500,000 people attended games during the tournament. Semi-automated offside technology was tested for the first time in this tournament.