(Reuters) -The 2025 FIFA Arab Cup will have a record prize fund of more than $36.5 million, Qatar's Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the regional tournament announced on Thursday.
The competition, which features senior men's national teams from the 22-member Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA), representing both Asia and Africa, takes place from December 1 to 18.
"This announcement further elevates the stature of the FIFA Arab Cup, a tournament we reinstated in 2021, and reflects Qatar's leading role in developing football across the region and beyond," said Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani, Minister of Sports and Youth and LOC Chairman in a statement.
Having taken over the organisation from UAFA, which initially ran the event, FIFA has been in charge since the tournament's revival in 2021, when it had a reported prize fund of $25.5 million.
The draw will be held in Doha on Sunday, with defending champions Algeria among the favourites.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; editing by Clare Fallon)
