December 8 – Palestine’s remarkable run at the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 took another historic turn on Sunday night as a goalless draw with Syria sent both sides into the quarterfinals for the first time.
The final round of Group A fixtures produced one of the most surprising outcomes of the competition so far.
Palestine and Syria, the group’s lowest-ranked teams, progressed at the expense of Tunisia and hosts Qatar – nations with stronger competitive pedigrees and higher FIFA rankings.
Palestine entered the final matchday knowing they required a singular point to guarantee progression, having already beaten Qatar in their opening game and recovered from 2-0 down to draw with Tunisia.
Syria, who bested Tunisia 1-0 in their opener, were in an identical position, with both teams content to limit risk in a match defined more by caution than chances.
The result confirmed a milestone for the Palestinians, who sit 96th in the FIFA rankings and have never previously reached the last eight of the competition. Syria, ranked 87th, will also advance to the knockout phase for the first time.
Qatar, by contrast, are ranked 45 places higher than Palestine and arrived as Asian champions, hosts, and one of the Arab teams already booked for the 2026 World Cup next summer. At Al Bayt Stadium, Qatar’s exit unfolded in stark fashion – the hosts needed a convincing win over Tunisia to keep their campaign alive but were instead dismantled 3-0.
The win was not enough to keep Tunisia, who are ranked 40th globally, in the competition, as the draw in the other match eliminated both sides.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1771628000labto1771628000ofdlr1771628000owedi1771628000sni@g1771628000niwe.1771628000yrrah1771628000
