Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Oct 08, 2025

Qatar Clasico: One of the Middle East’s biggest football matches

FOOTBALL NOW is a new show that brings to light some of the global game's biggest issues, challenges, and debates.

When the term 'football rivals' is mentioned, you may well think about Barcelona and Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool or Paris St Germain and Marseille. But what if we told you that there was a rivalry that you may not have heard of? The fixture between Al-Rayann and Al Sadd is now known to many around the Gulf as the 'Qatar Clasico'.

The two teams recently faced off in the Amir Cup final and FOOTBALL NOW attended the showpiece event in Doha. The competition was, up until 2019, known as the Emir of Qatar Cup, named after the country's ruler.

The first tournament was won by Al Ahli back in 1972/73, with one of the 2021 finalists, Al Sadd, holding the record with the most victories. But could they add to their tally here?

This year, the tournament has arguably generated more interest than ever, mainly due to the upcoming World Cup. But legendary names such as Al-Rayann manager, and former World Cup winner, Laurent Blanc and Al Sadd manager, Xavi Hernandez, in one of his final games as manager of Al Sadd, before moving to FC Barcelona, added to the interest.

Xavi and Laurent Blanc give out instructions during the Amir Cup final


But it's not just the coaches who have helped put this match in the spotlight. James Rodriguez's transfer to Al-Rayann back in September caused great excitement in Qatar after he departed Premier League side, Everton.

"It's a big signing for Al-Rayann." Says Colombian football writer, Carl Worswick.

"Probably the biggest name coming out of Colombia, he is the centre of debates on all Colombian football networks. He's not played for the Colombian national team for a year, and that's really been one of the main items of news almost every day."

James Rodriguez is back playing for Colombia after a year away from the national team


The teams went into the match in a contrast of form. Having won their first six games of the season, Al Sadd were understandably confident whilst an under-pressure Laurent Blanc was aiming to help Al-Rayann out of a slump that had seen them win just one in their last eight.

Despite the big build-up, it took until the 44th minute for the first key piece of the action. Al-Rayann's captain, Yacine Brahimi, converted a penalty after Al Sadd keeper Saad Al Sheeb brought down Yohan Boli in the box.

After early second-half domination, it was Al Sadd's turn for a penalty of their own after Rayyan defender Dame Traore clipped Boualem Khoukhi in the box. Former Arsenal midfielder, Santi Cazorla, used his experience to equal the scoring.

Two young Al Sadd supporters watch on as their team compete for the Amir Cup


It would stay that way until full-time. After two penalties in the first 90 minutes, a shoot-out would decide the 2021 Amir Cup final. Four perfect spot-kicks followed from both sides, but after Shojae Khalilzadeh missed Al-Rayann's all-important fifth, it was down to Jung Woo-Young to convert the winning penalty. He made no mistake, winning the tie for Al Sadd and sending half of the Al Thumama stadium into a frenzy of wild celebrations. Al Sadd would add to their already-impressive trophy cabinet.

For Xavi, it was the perfect way to round off his first foray into management. The Qatar Clasico will be remembered for its penalty drama on the pitch, but what about off the pitch? With big names and 40,000 passionate supporters in attendance, the 2021 Amir Cup Final is proof that football in this part of the globe thriving ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Syria Holds First Elections Since Fall of Assad
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
×