Saudi Arabia and the UAE are seeking a long-awaited title when they face off on Tuesday at the Al-Inma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, in the final of the Gulf Cup of Nations (Gulf 27).
On their home ground and in front of their fans, Saudi Arabia reached the final for the first time since 2019, winning against Qatar in the semifinals on penalties after a goalless draw in both the original and extra time.
The "Green" will have the chance on Tuesday to reclaim the title that has been absent from their cabinet since 2004, raising their total to 4 titles and thus moving up to second place on the list of teams with the most titles, tied with Iraq and five titles behind Kuwait (10 titles, the last won in 2010).
On the other hand, the UAE aims to win their third title after a 13-year wait, inspired by their strong performances in the current edition of the tournament, where they last stood on the podium in Gulf 21 in 2013 in Bahrain, winning their third title (the first was in 2007).
The Greek head coach of the Saudi national team, Georgios Donis, praised the technical level and tactical discipline displayed by his players throughout the tournament, especially defensively, as their net remained clean due to teamwork and the tremendous efforts they made.
He said after the victory over Qatar: "We faced a tough team that played defensively, making it challenging to create chances. We succeeded in creating some, but we did not score, which is normal in football."
The Greek coach mentioned the impact of the pressure of matches, adding: "In short and condensed tournaments, fatigue is present. We now have to focus on the final step, and we look forward to the support of the fans in the final, as their influence on us is significant."
Regarding the level of play and whether it is enough to win the title, the former coach of Al-Hilal, Al-Fateh, Al-Wahda, and Al-Khaleej said: "We must treat each match separately. These are big matches, and it is not easy to face these teams in a short period. We are trying to give our best."
He noted that "the best achievement is that we have played five matches on our land without conceding any goals, which is a positive aspect attributed to the players and their great abilities. It is also important to have ball possession, and step by step, we will create our own identity and continue to work hard."
"It will be a very difficult match"
On the other side, the UAE, which defeated Oman 1-0 in the semifinals, has shown wonderful form under their new coach, Croatian Zlatko Dalic, who took over the "White" just a week before the start of Gulf 27. Nevertheless, he managed to end the group stage at the top with 7 points after two wins and a draw, scoring eight goals for the first time since the tournament adopted the group format.
The "White" also maintained a clean sheet in three out of four matches played so far, conceding just one goal in a 1-1 draw against Qatar in the last round of the group stage when he used a reserve lineup after securing qualification for the semifinals.
The final on Tuesday against Saudi Arabia will be the toughest test for coach Dalic's squad, who considers that his opponent "has an additional strength playing in front of their home crowd."
The UAE Football Association attempted to narrow this crowd gap by announcing the scheduling of 12 private flights to Jeddah and purchasing tickets for their expected 12,000 fans, based on their allocated quota at the stadium.
Dalic, who knows Saudi football well from his time coaching Al-Faisaly and Al-Hilal between 2010 and 2013, said: "We respect the Saudi national team a lot; they are strong, and they will play in front of their fans, so it will be a very difficult match. I expect a strong match and a stadium filled with supporters."
The Croatian coach stated that "the short time poses a challenge for both teams, and the most important thing (after the match against Oman in the semifinals) is to restore the players' fitness. We only had two days, but the Saudi national team also played extra time in their match against Qatar, so they will face the same challenge in terms of fatigue."
He said: "We will analyze the Saudi team and prepare for the match to deliver a performance better than what we showed against Oman, and this is important for us."
The most successful coach in the history of the Croatian national team faces a personal challenge in overcoming the jinx of final matches that has accompanied him in major tournaments, having secured second place in the 2016 AFC Champions League with Al Ain, and the runner-up in the 2018 World Cup and the 2023 UEFA Nations League with Croatia.
To achieve his goal, Dalic has urged his players to deliver a higher level than what they showed in the semifinals, saying: "The match (against Oman) was not what I expected, and I cannot say much because my team won, which is the most important thing. But I feel we can perform better, improve our playing style, and create more chances, and I hope our performance in the final will be better."
Final whistle by a Moroccan referee
The Gulf Football Federation's referees committee has assigned Moroccan referee Jalal Jaid to officiate the final match.
He will be assisted by his compatriots Zakaria Brinsi and Mustafa Akarkad, while Kuwaiti Abdullah Jamali will serve as the fourth official, and his compatriot Saud Al-Shimali will take on the role of the fifth official.
Tournament statistics
The "White" UAE is the strongest team in the tournament offensively, scoring 9 goals, while the Bahrain team is the least scoring team with only 2 goals.
Defensively, the "Green" Saudi team is the strongest, having not conceded any goals, while the Bahrain team has conceded the most goals with 10.
Omani Nasser Al-Rawahi currently leads the tournament's top scorers with 3 goals.
Title record
Kuwait is the most successful team in winning the Gulf title, followed by Iraq.
10 titles: Kuwait (1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2010).
4 titles: Iraq (1979, 1984, 1988, 2023).
3 titles: Saudi Arabia (1994, 2002, 2003-2004), Qatar (1992, 2004, 2014).
2 titles: UAE (2007, 2013), Oman (2009, 2017-2018), Bahrain (2019, 2024-2025).