Egypt make history by winning Arabian Gulf Under-17 Cup as invited guests

Egypt Under-17 secured a landmark first title in the Arabian Gulf Under-17 Cup after beating United Arab Emirates 3-1 in the final in Qatar.

The Egyptian side had entered the 14th edition of the competition as an invited team, alongside China, with the other eight participants coming from the Gulf region. The tournament began on 17 October and was hosted by Qatar.

Their victory made Egypt the first non-Gulf nation to win the competition.

The result capped an impressive campaign for the young Pharaohs, who won all of their group-stage matches before producing a convincing 4-0 victory over China in the semi-final.

United Arab Emirates had been among the tournament’s strongest teams, but Egypt maintained their momentum in the final to claim the trophy for the first time.

Before this year’s competition, the title had been shared between three Gulf nations across the previous 13 editions. Saudi Arabia had won it six times, United Arab Emirates had claimed four titles and Oman had triumphed on three occasions.

Egypt’s success comes as the team prepares for the Under-17 World Cup, which will also be staged in Qatar from 19 November to 13 December this year. The tournament is listed for 19 November 2026.

Egypt have been drawn in Group A with hosts Qatar, Panama and Greece.