Overview
- Qatar and Saudi Arabia each sit on six points after second-round wins that put them in strong positions to reach the Gulf Cup semi-finals.
- The UAE followed a 4-0 opening win over Yemen with Nicolás Jiménez on two goals and a mostly unchanged lineup from coach Zlatko Dalić ahead of a make-or-break game against Bahrain.
- Iraq moved to four points with a 3-2 victory over Kuwait and received a promise of player bonuses from the Iraq FA after a late winning goal.
- The Gulf competitions committee published the tournament tiebreaker hierarchy that uses head-to-head results, overall goal difference, disciplinary points and, if required, drawing lots, and confirmed the final for 6 October at King Abdullah Sports City.
- Saudi coach Georgios Donis warned that multiple injuries to key players, including Hasan Kadesh, could affect his squad’s options and influence how the last group fixtures are played.