Gulf Champions League Confirms 12 Clubs for Third Season

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait — The Gulf Arab Cup Football Federation has approved the participating clubs for the third edition of the Gulf Champions League, scheduled for the 2026-2027 season. The tournament will run from October 13, 2026, to April 30, 2027. This season marks the largest participation in the competition's history, increasing the number of clubs from eight to 12. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Iraq will each be represented by two clubs, while Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Yemen will each enter one club. The confirmed participants are Al-Ettifaq and Neom from Saudi Arabia; Al Nasr and Ajman from the UAE; Al Duhail and Qatar from Qatar; Erbil and Al-Zawraa from Iraq; Al-Shabab from Oman; Riffa from Bahrain; Kazma from Kuwait; and Shabab Hadramout from Yemen. The federation stated that club selection was based on local league results and the Asian Football Confederation club rankings. The draw for the tournament is scheduled for September 9. Previous seasons were won by Duhok and Al Rayyan.