Alkass English
The Gulf Football Federation (GFF) has announced that the draw for the Gulf Club Champions League (2026-27 season) will be held on August 24.
The qualifying rounds for the third edition of the tournament are scheduled to begin on October 13 and will continue until April 30, 2027, with the participation of 12 clubs representing the member national federations.
The GFF confirmed that the draw ceremony will be conducted via video conference.
According to the competition’s regulations, the 12 participating teams will be divided into three groups, each containing four teams.
The league system stipulates that the first and second teams in each group, in addition to the two best third-placed teams in the three groups, will qualify for the quarter-finals, which will be held on a home-and-away basis.
The third edition is expected to witness largest participation in the tournament’s history since its inception, following the decision to increase the number of clubs from 8 to 12 clubs, a move that reflects the development of the competition and the expansion of the participation base among member federations, which contributes to raising the competitive level and enhancing the competition’s standing in the region.
The list of participating clubs includes Al Duhail (Qatar), Al Ettifaq and Neom (Saudi Arabia), Al Nasr and Ajman (UAE), Erbil and Al Zawraa (Iraq), Al Shabab (Oman), Al Riffa (Bahrain), Kazma (Kuwait), and Shaab Hadramout (Yemen).
The early announcement of the draw ceremony aims to allow sufficient time for clubs and national federations to complete their technical and organizational preparations before the start of the league competitions, which enhances the readiness of the teams and contributes to raising the quality of the competition.
Al Rayyan of Qatar won the title of the second edition of the tournament last year, after defeating Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia 3-0 in the final.