Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stars League continues preparations for the 2025-26 QSL Cup aligning with modern formats used in several continental and international tournaments.

To clarify all details related to the tournament, the match system, and the levels, the organisation held a meeting with the participating clubs (First Division and Second Division) yesterday.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Qatar Stars League: Ahmed Salman Al-Adsani, Director of Competitions; Abdullah Saleh Al-Sulaiti, Director of Media and Communications; Ahmed Abdullah Al-Sayed, Head of Football Operations; and representatives from several clubs and media outlets.

The meeting included a detailed explanation of the tournament system and the draw mechanism.

The 20 participating teams will be divided into five levels, each consisting of four teams, based on their final standings in the First and Second Division Leagues from the 2024-2025 season.

A draw will be conducted to determine matchups, with each team set to play 10 matches over 10 weeks during the league stage - two matches against teams from each level. The tournament is scheduled to kick off on September 1, 2025.

The new conditions and system were reviewed, and it was emphasised that the first and second-placed teams will qualify directly for the quarter-finals.

Teams ranked third through fourteenth will also advance to the next stage, with six knock-out matches played, from which six teams will advance to the quarter-finals.

The organisational procedures, guidelines for match-day operations, and confirmation of the home and away kits for each team were also discussed during the meeting.

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