DOHA – The International Football Federation (FIFA) has decided to cancel the match between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which was scheduled to determine third place in the 2025 Arab Cup, due to severe weather conditions that made it impossible to continue the game.
The match took place on Thursday at the Khalifa International Stadium, where both teams played the first half, which ended in a scoreless tie of 0-0. However, heavy rain resulted in water pooling on the pitch, prompting Chilean referee Cristian Garay to delay the start of the second half and send the players back to the locker rooms.
Due to the continued rain along with lightning and thunder, FIFA made the decision to cancel the match to ensure the safety of the players. Both coaches, Hervé Renard of the Saudi Green and Olăreiu Cosmin of the UAE White, expressed their refusal to continue the match out of concern for their players’ safety.
