Kuwait is set to host the twenty-sixth edition of the Gulf Cup in December 2024. In this context, a "statement" attributed to Kuwaiti sports commentator Ahmad Moussa emerged on social media regarding the exclusion of Iraqi fans from visa exemptions during the tournament. The post includes two images: one of former Kuwaiti football player Ahmad Moussa and another of the president of the Iraqi Football Association, Adnan Darjal. The accompanying text appears as a statement allegedly made by Ahmad Moussa to Kuwait's Al-Rai newspaper, which states, “We concluded the meeting regarding the entry of fans to the Gulf Cup... and we agreed to allow all fans to enter without a visa and free of charge, except for Iraqi fans who are not included in this decision...”.
The posts garnered extensive reactions on social media, sparking thousands of comments condemning and inciting hate speech.
Kuwait will indeed host the twenty-sixth Gulf Cup tournament in December 2024, as announced by the Arab Gulf Cup Federation in May in Doha. In its general assembly, which includes eight member states, the regional federation, established in May 2016, decided to hold the Gulf tournament—originating in 1970—in December 2024. Kuwait, whose national team has won the tournament ten times, is preparing to host the Gulf gathering for the fifth time after years 1974, 1990, 2003, and 2017. The Iraqi national team claimed its fourth title during the last edition held in its home turf in Basra in January, 44 years after Baghdad hosted the fifth Gulf Cup in 1979. During that tournament, Kuwaiti fans were exempted from visa requirements, leading Iraqi fans to call for similar treatment in this upcoming tournament. However, the Iraqi authorities have not been informed of any new Kuwaiti decision concerning this matter, according to Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Al-Mubarak on August 6, 2024.
As for the statements attributed to former Kuwaiti football player Ahmad Moussa concerning Iraqi fans' visas, there is no truth to them. There is no trace of such a statement on the Al-Rai newspaper's website or any of its social media platforms. Following this, a source at Al-Rai newspaper denied the publication of any similar statement. Furthermore, searches did not yield any credible news articles containing such statements from the former player. In light of this, Ahmad Moussa stated to AFP, "I haven't spoken to anyone or made any statement on the subject...," adding, "I do not represent any entity, and I have no relation to the federation or the organizing committee for the Gulf Cup 26." According to Ahmad Moussa, "The visa issue concerns the state alone; athletes have nothing to do with it, and I am merely a former athlete and a sports analyst."
