Arab Cup: Rain stops the third-place match

Heavy rain that fell on the Qatari capital, Doha, on Thursday, stopped the match for third place in the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025.

The Saudi and Emirati teams parted ways as a result of a goalless draw in the first half, as the match began at 12 noon.

Chilean referee Christian Gray was forced to postpone the resumption of play as the players returned to the field, which had been flooded with floods.

Referee Gray informed the players of the necessity of withdrawing and delaying the start of the second half until the severity of the rain eased.

As a result, the teams working at Khalifa International Stadium in the first phase began the process of drying the floor using modern equipment.

The process was not completed when the rain fell again, so the referee extended the decision to resume the match for another hour.

The final decision is up to referee Gray, who can postpone the conclusion of the third-place match to another date.

Look
Heavy rain at Khalifa International Stadium..
Saudi and Emirati players talk to the match referee about the difficulty of playing, and the referee stops the start of the second half #Arab_Cup2025#Cass_channels || #Show_platform pic.twitter.com/v7eA9sCtWR

– Al Kass Channels (@AlkassTVSports) December 18, 2025

What about the final?

The attention of the Arab fans inside and outside Qatar turned to the Lusail World Cup Stadium, two hours before the start of the final match.

The Jordanian and Moroccan teams are participating in the final of the 11th edition of the Arab Cup, which is organized under the umbrella of the International Federation for the second time in a row.

The massive floods that swept around the stadium that hosted the 2022 World Cup final did not prevent it. Crowds start arriving early.

☔️🎥| Distributing umbrellas and raincoats to fans in the outer vicinity of Lusail Stadium 🏟️, which will host the summit. #Jordan and #Morocco In the final of the Arab Cup Qatar 2025 🏆 #Arab_Cup2025 | #Marsal_Qatar#Jordan_Morocco | #Arab_Cup pic.twitter.com/NiYxOJuM1e

– Marsal Qatar (@Marsalqatar) December 18, 2025

Khaled Al Kubaisi, a member of the Competitions Committee, revealed that the modern facility is ready for the final scene.

Al-Kubaisi explained that the stands of Lusail Stadium are completely covered, which prevents rain from entering.

He also reassured the Jordanian and Emirati teams, as well as the fans, of the safety of the pitch.

It should be noted that the final match will be moderated by Swedish referee Nyberg.

Referee Nyberg was previously famous for his comment on the legend Cristiano Ronaldo during the match between Portugal and Ireland in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Lusail Stadium pic.twitter.com/8vGbyCN0rk

– Rajai Al-Shouha (@alshouha05) December 18, 2025