Qatar wins second consecutive AFC Asian Cup™
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani crowned the Qatar national team for their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ triumph at Lusail Stadium, in the presence of more than 86,000 fans.
Al Annabi completed an undefeated run through the tournament, defeating Jordan in the finals, three to one, defending the championship title and securing a win for the second time in a row. After receiving the trophy, the newly crowned champions embarked on a celebratory tour through Lusail Boulevard on an open-top bus, joined by thousands of fans who congregated to celebrate this significant achievement for Qatari football.
The Qatar national team began its tournament journey with a strong start in the group stage, where it achieved victory in all three matches, beating Lebanon, Tajikistan and China, scoring five goals without conceding any.
In the round of 16, Qatar managed to defeat Palestine two to one, facing Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals and beating them on penalties three to two, after the two teams tied in both the match and extra time.
In the semi-finals, Qatar beat Iran, three to two, a team which was anticipated to win the championship, earning their spot in the final. Qatar’s victory capped off a dominant showing at the Asian Cup, winning the FIFA Fair Play award and its players dominating the individual awards. Striker Akram Afif was named top scorer award with a total of 8 goals, as well as Most Valuable Player. Meanwhile, Qatar’s goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham won the tournament’s best goalkeeper award, the Golden Glove.
Another incredible feat for Qatar’s national team was taking no losses throughout the tournament for the second consecutive time – winning all their matches at the AFC Asian Cup 2023 while winning seven consecutive matches in the 2019 edition. The team’s 14-match victory streak has set an unprecedented record in the tournament’s history.
Qatar 2023 featured a record attendance of 1.5 million fans, with fan engagement, coupled with the tournament’s outstanding organisation both in and out of stadiums garnering wide media coverage.
The tournament was hosted at nine stadiums, seven of which welcomed the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Twenty-four nations divided into six groups took part.
This marked Qatar’s third time to host the AFC Asian Cup, following the 1988 and 2011 editions. Alongside the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™, the 2006 Asian Games and many more, Qatar’s record as a host country highlights its capacity to successfully host world-class mega events.