History made! Palestine enters FIFA Arab Cup quarterfinals for first time, hosts Qatar out in group stage

A major upset has occurred in the FIFA Arab Cup 2025, where Asian champion and tournament favorite Qatar has been eliminated from the group stage. In contrast, war-torn Palestine has qualified for the quarterfinals for the first time, putting up a strong fight.

Tunisia defeated Asian champion Qatar 3-0, while Palestine drew 0-0 with Syria, securing a spot in the knockout stage for the first time. The 0-0 draw between Palestine and Syria at the Al Rayyan's Education City Stadium was enough to send them to the quarterfinals.

As Palestine and Syria entered the final round of Group A, they had already taken the lead in the points table, while Qatar needed a big win against Tunisia to advance, which they failed to achieve. Qatar's defense collapsed, and Tunisia took full advantage of the opportunity.

The weakness in Qatar's defense was evident in the 16th minute when goalkeeper Meshal Barsham's mistake allowed Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane to score from close range. Although Qatar managed to avoid further goals in the first half, their attack, led by Akram Afif, looked exhausted and failed to create dangerous chances despite having 60% ball possession.

In the 62nd minute, Yassine Meriah scored with a header from a corner kick, giving Tunisia a 2-0 lead. Moments later, Saifeddine Jaziri was sent off with a red card, but even with a man down, Qatar failed to capitalize on Tunisia's weaknesses.

In the final moments, Mohamed Ben Ali scored the third goal, sealing Tunisia's victory. However, after the result of the Palestine-Syria match, Tunisia was also eliminated from the tournament along with Qatar.

At the Education City Stadium, Palestine and Syria played out a 0-0 draw in a highly intense match, securing a spot in the quarterfinals for both teams. Palestine had earlier stunned Qatar in the tournament's opening match, winning due to an own goal.

The Palestinian team had also come back from behind to draw 2-2 with Tunisia in their second match. Syria had started strong, beating Tunisia 1-0 in their first match, and both teams needed just one point to advance to the next stage.

As the final whistle blew, players from both sides were overcome with emotion. Palestinian players celebrated with flags, keffiyeh, and chants, while Syrian players were also jubilant. Palestinian defender Mohammed Saleh, from Gaza, emotionally held up both the Palestinian and Syrian flags.

This result is shocking for the football world. War-torn Palestine and Syria, who lack financial resources and are ranked low globally, have advanced to the quarterfinals. Palestine is ranked 96th, Syria 87th, and Qatar 45th in the FIFA rankings. Tunisia, ranked 40th globally, is the sixth-best team in Africa.

Qatar is one of the six Arab teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, while neither Palestine nor Syria has ever qualified for the football World Cup. Both Palestinian and Syrian teams have now reached the quarterfinals, with their sights set on making history.