🏆 Should the Arab Cup be taken seriously or is FIFA purely playing politics?

The revamped tournament kicks off amid questions over its true intention!

When FIFA needed a tournament to prepare Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup, it created a new one.

Well, sort of. The Arab Cup can be traced back decades. It was first played in 1962 and was a tournament for the member nations of the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA). It was, in all honesty, a bit of an afterthought.

That might still be the case, but for the second time since FIFA seized control of the competition the Arab Cup will kick off next week. Once again, the tournament will be held in Qatar.

FIFA insists the Arab Cup is “not the kind of tournament you can miss.” A showcase for the sport in the region. Critics, however, have accused the governing body of overstepping its mark, politically and culturally.

So which is it? Is the Arab Cup a tournament to be absorbed or ignored?