Is the Gulf Cup still relevant?
With Saudi Arabia sending a ‘B’ side and recent winners unable to go to the next level the regional tournament is under pressure
They may not have won the Gulf Cup since 2003, which may sting their pride, but with the World Cup only six months away, they have far greater priorities.
For them the Gulf Cup is just one step on a bigger journey, not the final destination. It will be used as a development opportunity as they look to unearth potential stars of the future. They are not after the short-term sugar hit that comes from winning a title, they are focusing on a longer-term plan.
And that really is the crux of the matter.
While regional rivalries are important, if the Gulf nations want to genuinely develop and be competitive on the world stage they need to broaden their view. It is not enough anymore to just be better than your neighbors. While that may give fans and federations a warm fuzzy feeling, ultimately it means very little.
Since Saudi Arabia’s last success Qatar have won two Gulf Cups, including the last edition in 2014, but they have failed to translate that into success outside the Gulf.
Gone are the days of the Gulf Cup being confirmation of the best team in the region. The past four editions of the tournament have produced four different winners, including Oman and Kuwait.
Perhaps the example set by Saudi Arabia this year could be the way forward to keep the tournament relevant: Make the Gulf Cup an U23 tournament, just like the Olympics, which also morphed from a senior tournament into an underage one.
That way the event can be a showcase of the best young talent in the region, a way to give them valuable international experience and a chance to press their claims for senior selection.
The Gulf Cup may not be as prestigious as it once was, but it can still have a future.