Qatar Sport

Doha, Eupen: Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) – one of the leading strategic investment groups in sports, culture, entertainment and lifestyle – is pleased to announce its forthcoming acquisition of KAS Eupen, a historic Belgian football club, currently competing in the Challenger Pro League. The addition of KAS Eupen to the QSI group further strengthens its position as a global football and business operator – added to QSI’s majority ownership of Paris Saint-Germain and minority ownership of Sporting Clube de Braga – alongside QSI’s other leading investments in padel (Premier Padel), art (Art Basel) and other multi-sport projects spanning motorsports, basketball and more. QSI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) confirming the forthcoming full acquisition – subject to standard regulatory approvals – and the immediate takeover of the sporting operations of KAS Eupen. Under the terms of the MoU, QSI will ultimately take full operational control of the Club, including all associated sporting, commercial, and operational assets, in short order. In addition to strategic investment, QSI will support the Club’s transformation through world-class expertise, experience and know-how, while also connecting the Club to QSI growing, fully integrated and high performance, multi-club, multi-sport and multi-business model. KAS Eupen is being acquired from the Aspire Zone Foundation (Aspire). Under Aspire’s ownership, the Club established itself as a stable and well-respected team. Belgium is also a highly attractive football market, where strong competition between high quality teams enhances talent development across the country, with KAS Eupen offering significant potential for long-term sustainable growth. The investment reflects QSI’s principal strategy of developing sports assets, enhancing athlete development and pathways, and fostering high-performance environments within - and between - properties in its Group. QSI and the Club’s executives will focus on strengthening KAS Eupen’s sporting model, expanding its commercial capabilities, and identifying growth opportunities across both domestic and international markets. Key priorities will include youth academy development, infrastructure upgrades, and enhanced community engagement. Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Chairman of Qatar Sports Investments, said: “Qatar Sports Investments is proud to become the custodian of KAS Eupen and contribute to the development of football in Belgium. With QSI’s global expertise and passion for football, our objective is to build a modern, competitive football and business structure – bringing pride to KAS Eupen supporters and building on the Club’s great legacy to date. We warmly welcome into our family a fantastic Club and community.”

Football

Top global clubs set to compete in Doha during the rest days of ongoing FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 Doha, Qatar: The FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025 Local Organising Committee (LOC) today announced its full readiness to host the final three matches of the prestigious club competition during a press conference held in Doha. The tournament will be contested at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on the December 10, 13 and 17, during the rest days of the ongoing FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, further showcasing Qatar’s capability to seamlessly stage world-class football events and reinforcing international confidence in its hosting abilities. Organisers highlighted that the tournament has garnered strong interest from regional and international fans alike. Hassan Al Kuwari, LOC Executive Director of Marketing, Promotion and Commercial, said: “Qatar's commitment to hosting world-class tournaments stems from our belief in advancing football at every level. This includes strengthening competition within the GCC region, uniting the Arab world at the Arab Cup, supporting the development of young talent and now welcoming global champions for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. By hosting multiple tournaments in parallel, we're showcasing the operational excellence that embodies our nation’s vision and reflects the proud sporting legacy of the Arab region.” Roberto Grassi, FIFA Tournament Lead, said: “We are here to announce our readiness to host the third tournament which Qatar is successfully delivering in a few weeks. This is a reaffirmation of the strong partnership with Qatar. We believe in Qatar’s ability to deliver the best tournaments in the world using world class infrastructure. We want to thank all the stakeholders involved in the delivery of these events and look forward to a second edition of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, one that will echo the success of last year's wonderful tournament.” Organisers also announced that the Doha Metro will be free of charge for ticketholders attending the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Final Qatar 2025 on December 17, which will see Paris Saint-Germain face the winner of the FIFA Challenger Cup Qatar 2025 in the tournament’s decisive match. Throughout the competition, the metro will provide comprehensive accessibility services and direct access to Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium via Al Riffa Metro Station (Green Line). Fans travelling to Qatar are encouraged to explore the country’s cultural and entertainment events during their stay in Doha. Tickets are available at www.roadtoqatar.qa. All tickets will be digital and will include accessible seating options for disabled fans. Disabled fans wishing to request accessible seats can do so by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. Prices for accessibility tickets start from QAR 20.Fans must download the Road to Qatar app to access their tickets ahead of arrival at the stadium. A maximum of 6 tickets per person can be purchased per match. Tournament Schedule: FIFA Derby of the Americas Qatar 2025 Wednesday, 10 December 2025 | 8pm, Doha time Cruz Azul (Mexico) v CR Flamengo (Brazil) Ahmad bin Ali Stadium FIFA Challenger Cup Qatar 2025 Saturday, 13 December 2024 | 8pm, Doha time FIFA Derby of the Americas Qatar 2025 winner v Pyramids FC (Egypt) Ahmad bin Ali Stadium FIFA Intercontinental Cup Final Qatar 2025 Wednesday, 17 December 2025 | 8pm, Doha time Paris Saint-Germain (France) v FIFA Challenger Cup Qatar 2025 winner Ahmad bin Ali Stadium

Football

Doha, Qatar: Rami Hamada knew that the odds were stacked against Palestine. Sitting well outside the top ten nations heading to the FIFA Arab Cup on the FIFA World Ranking, the Lions of Canaan were forced to navigate the qualification phase just to join the main table. There they were pushed all the way to penalties by Libya in a match that Hamada, the team’s goalkeeper and occasional captain, starred in. Off the back of a pre-tournament camp in Spain where the team’s belief began to take root, the dramatic nature of the play-off victory saw it blossom. Having grabbed a 95th minute winner against hosts Qatar first up in the group stage and then rallying from two goals down to draw 2-2 with 2021 runners-up Tunisia, the belief was exploding. A scoreless draw against Syria in the section settler means that the Lions of Canaan finished, remarkably, as group winners and are through to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history. As Hamada told FIFA post-match, there is now no limit to the extent of their dreams at the regional showpiece. “First of all this is like a dream, until now we have been living the dream and we need that dream to continue. “I didn’t want to wait for anyone to give us a chance so we had to show everything on the field. Before we didn’t talk, we were like a small team but now we have showed with our actions that we are a big team.” Having come within a couple of minutes of reaching the decisive fourth round of qualification for the FIFA World Cup and with a ticket to the next edition of the Asian Cup already secured, there has been real positivity building around Palestinian football in recent years. Translating that positivity into performance and results was the target of the side ahead of the Arab Cup and Hamada is thrilled that they’ve been able to do that. “It’s amazing to think that we have finished as the top team in the group and now we just continue to look ahead, to go step-by-step. “I’m just so proud and praise must go to God for everything. God gave us something like this and it means so much to us. We see our people happy now. After everything we have lived through we are so proud.” Those are thoughts echoed by defender Yaser Hamed, who told FIFA post-match that delivering joy to the Palestinian people is the team’s main motivation. “We achieved something special and unique for Palestine and this is for all the Palestinians who have been suffering in the last few years, especially in Gaza. “It doesn’t matter who we face after this because we will keep trying to win. Playing for this flag and this country is so special and in 90 minutes we can beat anyone. For sure our target is to win the Arab Cup and continue to make our people happy.” Another who has been revelling in the unexpected progression to the quarter-finals, where one of Saudi Arabia, Morocco or Oman await, is right-back Emilio Saba. The 24-year-old is in camp with the national team for the first time and is, to continue the theme, living a dream that he doesn’t want to end. “It just feels so amazing to be part of this group and to make history with Palestine. We have been together for one month, firstly in Spain and now here, to prepare.” The next challenge for the Lions of Canaan will come in the last eight, with that match to be played on Thursday in Lusail. (FIFA)