Gulf Cup 2026 results: The 27th edition of the Gulf Cup kicked off in Jeddah with Iraq taking on Oman in the opening game in Group A. Saudi Arabia also played Kuwait in the second game of the day, and there is already a feeling that it will be a tight race to make it to the semis.
Iraq 1-1 Oman
Iraq and Oman shared the spoils in their opening match at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium. Iraq started on the front foot and went ahead in the sixth minute.
The Oman defence failed to clear a Zaid Al Dulaimi cross, and Aymen Hussein laid off the ball for Mohammed Qasim. The 29-year-old midfielder unleashed a curling finish into the top corner from just inside the box.
The Lions of Mesopotamia had a sustained spell of dominance but failed to make it count. They had a flurry of chances between the 20th and 25th minute of the game, and then Hassan Abdulkarim saw his curling left-foot effort palmed away by goalkeeper Ibrahim Al Mukhaini in the 37th minute. Iraq’s lack of cutting edge came back to haunt them in the second half.
Oman started the second half better, but Iraq still created more chances. However, the tide turned in the 67th minute. Left-back Ahmed Al Kaabi played a long through ball to Naseer Al-Rawahi, who ran past the Iraqi defence and lifted his shot past opposing goalkeeper Ahmed Basil Fadhil to bring The Reds level.
Iraq continued to press and had a wonderful chance to snatch all three points. A cross in the 79th minute found Aymen Hussein, but he failed to put his close-range header on target. This meant Graham Arnold’s side had to settle for a point in their first match.
Iraq will face Kuwait in their next match on September 26, and Oman will take on Saudi Arabia later on the same day.
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Kuwait
An own-goal gave Saudi Arabia all three points in their opening Gulf Cup game against Kuwait. The hosts dominated possession and had the better of early exchanges.
Mohammed Abu Al Shamat even put the ball into the net in the 37th minute only to see his effort ruled out for a foul by Mohammed Kanno in the box. The Kuwait Blues had the chance to take a surprise lead towards the end of the first half but Mohammad Dahan’s low shot went narrowly wide of the post.
The Green Falcons continued to be in ascendancy after the break, but Kuwait goalkeeper Saud Al-Hoshan did well to keep his team on level terms. The breakthrough for Georgios Donis’ side finally arrived in the 73rd minute. Hammam Al Hamami collected a diagonal pass on the left side from Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, and the winger wiggled into the box before his shot deflected off defender Yousef Al Haqan and looped into the net.
This was cruel on Al Haqan, who had the most defensive contributions in the game. The own goal proved to be the difference as Helio Sousa’s team were left bottom of the Group A table following the opening round of matches.
Gulf Cup action continues on Thursday, September 24. UAE play Yemen before Qatar take on Bahrain in Group B of the Gulf Cup.
READ MORE: Gulf Cup 2026: Teams, Fixtures and Groups — Everything You Need to Know
