Overview
- The 16‑team tournament runs December 1–18, with the group stage December 1–9, quarterfinals December 11–12, semifinals December 15, and the final on December 18.
- Six Qatar 2022 venues will be used, with the opener at Al Bayt Stadium and the final at Lusail Stadium.
- Groups are set: A (Qatar, Tunisia, Syria, Palestine), B (Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Comoros), C (Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Kuwait), D (Algeria, Iraq, Bahrain, Sudan).
- FIFA has confirmed matches will count toward the World Ranking, introduced head‑to‑head goal‑difference as the first group tiebreaker, and will use the ranking to resolve complete ties.
- The event offers more than $36.5 million in prize money, all matches air on beIN Sports in MENA, and several squads are affected by player absences due to the club calendar.