WAFF Championship

The West Asian Football Federation Championship (Arabic: بطولة اتحاد غرب آسيا لكرة القدم), or simply WAFF Championship, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), the governing body of football in Western Asia. The championship has been held, on average, every two years.[1]

WAFF Championship
Organising bodyWAFF
Founded2000 (2000)
RegionWestern Asia
Number of teams9 (2019)
Current champions Bahrain (1st title)
Most successful team(s) Iran (4 titles)
Websitethe-waff.com
2023 WAFF Championship

The current champion is Bahrain, having defeated hosts Iraq in the 2019 final. The most successful team is Iran, with four titles; however, they do not compete in the competition anymore as they are no longer members of the WAFF.

History

The inaugural WAFF Championship was held in 2000 in Jordan, with Iran winning the first edition.[2] It was hosted in memory of Hussein of Jordan, who had died a year prior.[3] The Al Hussein Cup, assigned to the winner of each tournament, was designed and manufactured in Italy in 2000, and is made of silver and copper.[2]

Results
Edition Year Hosts Champions Score and Venue Runners-up Third place Score and Venue Fourth place No. of Teams
1 2000  Jordan
Iran		 1–0
King Abdullah Stadium, Amman
Syria
Iraq		 4–1
Jordan		 8
2 2002  Syria
Iraq		 3–2 (a.e.t.)
Al Abbassiyyine Stadium, Damascus
Jordan
Iran		 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 pen.)
Syria		 6
3 2004  Iran
Iran		 4–1
Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Syria
Jordan		 3–1
Iraq		 6
4 2007  Jordan
Iran		 2–1
Amman International Stadium, Amman
Iraq		  Jordan and  Syria[note 1] 6
5 2008  Iran
Iran		 2–1
Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Jordan		  Qatar and  Syria[note 1] 6
6 2010  Jordan
Kuwait		 2–1
King Abdullah Stadium, Amman
Iran		  Iraq and  Yemen[note 1] 9
7 2012  Kuwait
Syria		 1–0
Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City
Iraq
Oman		 1–0
Bahrain		 11
8 2013  Qatar
Qatar		 2–0
Al Sadd Stadium, Doha
Jordan
Bahrain		 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–2 pen.)
Kuwait		 9
9 2019  Iraq
Bahrain		 1–0
Karbala International Stadium, Karbala
Iraq		 [note 2] 9
10 2023 TBD 12
  • a.e.t.: after extra time
  • pen.: after penalty shoot-out
  • TBD: to be determined
Notes
  1. The two semi-finalists in 2007, 2008, and 2010 did not play a third-place match.
  2. There were neither semi-finals nor a third-place match in 2019.

Teams reaching the top four
Teams reaching the top four
Team Titles Runners-up Third place1 Fourth place Total
 Iran 4 (2000, 2004*, 2007, 2008*) 1 (2010) 1 (2002) 6
 Iraq 1 (2002) 3 (2007, 2012, 2019*) 2 (2000, 20102) 1 (2004) 7
 Syria 1 (2012) 2 (2000, 2004) 2 (20072, 20082) 1 (2002*) 6
 Bahrain 1 (2019) 1 (2013) 1 (2012) 3
 Qatar 1 (2013*) 1 (20082) 2
 Kuwait 1 (2010) 1 (2013) 2
 Jordan 3 (2002, 2008, 2013) 2 (2004, 20072*) 1 (2000*) 6
 Yemen 1 (20102) 1
 Oman 1 (2012) 1
* = hosts
1 = includes semi-finals in case there was no third-place match
2 = semi-final

Records and statistics

Top goalscorers by tournament
Year Player(s) Goals
2000 Iraq Razzaq Farhan 4
2002 Iran Alireza Nikbakht 2
Iraq Razzaq Farhan
Jordan Muayad Salim
Syria Anas Sari
2004 Iran Ali Daei 5
2007 Iran Mehdi Rajabzadeh 2
Iraq Salih Sadir
2008 Iran Kianoush Rahmati 3
2010 Yemen Ali Al-Nono 4
2012 Oman Qasim Said 4
Syria Ahmad Al Douni
2013 Qatar Boualem Khoukhi 6
2019 Iraq Hussein Ali 3

All-time table
Rank Team Participations Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Avg
Pts		 Trophies
1  Iran 72819725616+4064 2.29 4
2  Iraq 83116874022+1856 1.80 1
3  Jordan 931129103728+945 1.45 0
4  Syria 82999113240−836 1.24 1
5  Bahrain 41566386+224 1.60 1
6  Kuwait 4146441717022 1.57 1
7  Qatar 275021210+215 2.14 1
8  Palestine 92234151635−1913 0.59 0
9  Oman 411335913−412 1.09 0
10  Lebanon 7183312925−1612 0.67 0
11  Yemen 3102261013−38 0.80 0
12  Saudi Arabia 38134310−76 0.75 0
13  Kazakhstan 1310239−63 1.00 0
14  Kyrgyzstan 1300308−80 0.00 0

Under-age tournaments

Under-23
Main article: WAFF U-23 Championship
WAFF U-23 Championship
Founded2015 (2015)
RegionWest Asia (WAFF)
Number of teams11 (as of 2021)
Current champions Saudi Arabia (1st title)
Most successful team(s) Iran
 Jordan
 Saudi Arabia
(1 title each)
2022 WAFF U-23 Championship

The WAFF U-23 Championship is an international football competition contested by the West Asian men's under-23 national teams of the WAFF member associations. The competition began in 2015, with Iran winning the inaugural competition.

Edition Year Hosts Champions Score and Venue Runners-up Third place Score and Venue Fourth place No. of Teams
1 2015  Qatar
Iran		 2–0
Lekhwiya SC Stadium, Doha
Syria
Qatar		 3–0
Yemen		 10
2 2021  Saudi Arabia
Jordan		 3–1
Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium, Khobar
Saudi Arabia		  Iraq and  Syria[note 1] 11
3 2022  Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia		 3–1
King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah
Qatar
Syria		 1–0
Oman		 6
4  Iraq
Notes
  1. The two semi-finalists in 2021 did not play a third-place match.
Teams reaching the top four
Team Titles Runners-up Third place Fourth place Semi-finalists Total
 Saudi Arabia 1 (2022*) 1 (2021*) 2
 Iran 1 (2015) 1
 Jordan 1 (2021) 1
 Syria 1 (2015) 1 (2022) 1 (2021) 3
 Qatar 1 (2022) 1 (2015*) 2
 Yemen 1 (2015) 1
 Oman 1 (2022) 1
 Iraq 1 (2021) 1
* = hosts

Under-18
WAFF U-18 Championship
Founded2019 (2019)
RegionWest Asia (WAFF)
Number of teams9 (as of 2021)
Current champions Iraq (2nd title)
Most successful team(s) Iraq (2 titles)
2021 WAFF U-18 Championship

The WAFF U-18 Championship is an international football competition contested by the West Asian men's under-18 national teams of the WAFF member associations. The competition began in 2018, with Iraq winning the inaugural competition.

Edition Year Hosts Champions Score and Venue Runners-up Third place Score and Venue Fourth place No. of Teams
1 2019  Palestine
Iraq		 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 pen.)
Faisal al-Husseini Stadium, Ramallah
United Arab Emirates
Jordan		 3–0
Palestine		 6
2 2021  Iraq
Iraq		 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–2 pen.)
Al-Madina Stadium, Baghdad
Lebanon		 [note 1] 9
Notes
  1. There were neither semi-finals nor a third-place match in 2021.
  • a.e.t.: after extra time
  • pen.: after penalty shoot-out
  • TBD: to be determined
Teams reaching the top four
Team Titles Runners-up Third place Fourth place Total
 Iraq 2 (2019, 2021) 2
 United Arab Emirates 1 (2019) 1
 Lebanon 1 (2021) 1
 Jordan 1 (2019) 1
 Palestine 1 (2019) 1

Under-16
WAFF U-16 Championship
Founded2005 (2005)
RegionWest Asia (WAFF)
Number of teams9 (as of 2022)
Current champions Jordan (1st title)
Most successful team(s) Iran
 Iraq
(2 titles each)
2022 WAFF U-16 Championship

The WAFF U-16 Championship is an international football competition contested by the West Asian men's under-16 national teams of the WAFF member associations. The competition began in 2005, with Iran winning the inaugural competition.

WAFF U-16 Championship
Edition Year Host Final Third place match No. of Teams
Champions Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place
1 2005  Iran
Iran		 2–0
Tehran
Syria
Iraq		 5–0
Tehran
Lebanon		 6
2 2007  Syria
Syria		 [note 1]
Iran
Jordan		 [note 1]
Iraq		 5
3 2009  Jordan
Iran		 3–2
Amman
Syria
Iraq		 3–1
Amman
Jordan		 9
4 2013  Palestine
Iraq		 [note 1]
United Arab Emirates
Jordan		 [note 1]
Palestine		 4
5 2015  Jordan
Iraq		 [note 1]
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates		 [note 1]
Palestine		 5
6 2018  Jordan
Japan		 [note 1]
India
Jordan		 [note 1]
Yemen		 5
7 2019  Jordan
Saudi Arabia		 [note 1]
Jordan
Syria		 [note 1]
Iraq		 9
8 2021  Saudi Arabia
Yemen		 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 pen.)
Saudi Arabia		  Syria and  United Arab Emirates[note 2] 9
9 2022  Jordan
Jordan		 1–0
Lebanon		  Iraq and  Syria[note 2] 8
Notes
  1. The tournament was played in a round-robin league format.
  2. The two semi-finalists did not play a third-place match.
Teams reaching the top four
Team Titles Runners-up Third place Fourth place Semi-finalist Total
 Iran 2 (2005*, 2009) 1 (2007) 3
 Iraq 2 (2013, 2015) 2 (2005, 2009) 2 (2007, 2019) 1 (2022) 7
 Syria 1 (2007*) 2 (2005, 2009) 1 (2019) 2 (2021, 2022) 6
 Saudi Arabia 1 (2019) 2 (2015, 2021*) 3
 Jordan 1 (2022*) 1 (2019*) 3 (2007, 2013, 2018*) 1 (2009*) 6
 Yemen 1 (2021) 1 (2018) 2
 Japan 1 (2018) 1
 United Arab Emirates 1 (2013) 1 (2015) 1 (2021) 3
 Lebanon 1 (2022) 1 (2005) 2
 India 1 (2018) 1
 Palestine 2 (2013*, 2015) 2
* = hosts

See also

References
  1. "West Asian Championship". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  2. ""كأس الحسين".. رمزية تاريخية وعودة ميمونة". The WAFF. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  3. "اتحاد غرب آسيا يُحدد موعد بطولة الرجال العاشرة". جريدة الغد (in Arabic). 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
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