Arab Cup Third-Place Showdown Canceled: Weather Shuts Down Saudi vs UAE in Doha

Weather and Lightning Cancel Third-Place Arab Cup Showdown

Newspaper reports focused on the fate of the Saudi national team's match against the United Arab Emirates, to decide who finishes third in the Arab Cup, a game canceled on Thursday due to severe weather in Doha, Qatar.

Saudi daily Al-Yawm stated there were two possible outcomes to determine the third-place match: the first, closest to reality, would be a draw between the two teams that would name the third-placer.

The second possibility would see Saudi Arabia declared third since they lost by a smaller margin in the semi-final (1-0) to Jordan, compared to the UAE's three-goal defeat to Morocco.

Al-Kass TV of Qatar had reported that FIFA planned to complete the match, but the two technical teams refused to play.

In a FIFA statement issued later: "The third-place match for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has been canceled due to weather conditions and thunderstorms around the host stadium."

It added: "Although the stadium remained fully operational and the pitch in good condition, the decision was taken by the match official to safeguard players, supporters, and all staff; the FIFA technical committee will determine the third-placed team later."

Punchline: If the third-place trophy already exists, it's probably on standby for a lightning-delayed parade. Offside? Not in this weather—it's a weather-offside.

Punchline 2: The only thing sharper than the whistle tonight was the bolt in the sky. Talk about a 'bolt-on' defense.