Firas Al-Buraikan scores in final to finish Gulf Cup 27 top scorer
Firas Al-Buraikan scored in the 13th minute as Saudi Arabia beat the UAE 2-0 in the Gulf Cup 27 final in Jeddah, and he finished the tournament as top scorer.
Firas Al-Buraikan finished the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup as its top scorer, and he saved one of his most important goals for the biggest night. The Saudi Arabia striker scored his side's second goal in the 13th minute of the 2-0 win over the United Arab Emirates in the final on 6 October 2026, a strike that effectively settled the title inside the opening quarter of an hour at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah. With the trophy came the top scorer award, completing a tournament in which Saudi players swept every major individual prize.
Al-Buraikan's goal in the Gulf Cup 27 final
The final could hardly have started better for the Green Falcons. Hammam Al-Hammami opened the scoring in the 11th minute, and only two minutes later Al-Buraikan added the second, giving Saudi Arabia a 2-0 lead inside 13 minutes, as Maspero noted in its match report. The quick double changed the shape of the final completely: the UAE, who had arrived as one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the competition, were suddenly chasing the game against a defence that had not conceded all tournament.
Saudi Arabia did not need to add to that early advantage. They protected their lead for the remaining 77 minutes and lifted the Gulf Cup unbeaten and without conceding a single goal, a record that places this triumph among the most convincing in the history of the competition.
Final at a glance
- Match: Saudi Arabia 2-0 United Arab Emirates, Gulf Cup 27 final.
- Date and venue: 6 October 2026, Alinma Stadium, King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah.
- Goals: Hammam Al-Hammami 11', Firas Al-Buraikan 13'.
- Outcome: Saudi Arabia champions, unbeaten and without conceding.
Top scorer award and a clean sweep of individual prizes
Al-Buraikan's goal in the final helped him finish first in the tournament's scoring chart and collect the top scorer award. He was also one of four Saudi players named man of the match at different stages of the competition, a measure of how widely the contributions were spread across the squad that won the title.
The three main individual awards all went to Saudi players: Al-Hammami was named best player, Al-Buraikan was the top scorer and Mohammed Al-Owais took the best goalkeeper prize. The best young player award went to Yemen's Adel Abbas.
| Award | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Best player | Hammam Al-Hammami | Saudi Arabia |
| Top scorer | Firas Al-Buraikan | Saudi Arabia |
| Best goalkeeper | Mohammed Al-Owais | Saudi Arabia |
| Best young player | Adel Abbas | Yemen |
How Saudi Arabia reached the final
According to the Yalla Shoot tournament data, Saudi Arabia won all three of their Group A matches, scoring six goals without reply to finish top with nine points ahead of Oman, Iraq and Kuwait. That made them the only team in the competition to come through the group stage with a perfect record in both points and goals conceded.
The semi-final against Qatar was the sternest test. It finished without a goal and went to a shootout, which Saudi Arabia won 3-2 after goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais saved two spot-kicks. For a striker, a night like that is a reminder that tournaments are not won by attackers alone; Al-Buraikan and his fellow forwards then made sure the final did not come down to the same kind of drama.
Saudi Arabia at Gulf Cup 27
- Group A: three wins, nine points, six goals scored, none conceded.
- Semi-final: beat Qatar 3-2 on penalties.
- Final: beat the UAE 2-0.
- Overall: eight goals scored, none conceded, no defeats.
Why the UAE goal mattered
The opponents in the final made Al-Buraikan's strike all the more significant. The UAE had topped Group B with seven points, scoring eight goals and conceding only one, so they had both the firepower to come back and the defensive record to frustrate. Going two goals down so early removed much of that threat: rather than opening up a tight contest, the Emirati side had to take risks, and Saudi Arabia's well-organised defence was comfortable dealing with them.
A second goal in such a short space of time also has a psychological weight in finals. Al-Hammami's opener gave Saudi Arabia the advantage; Al-Buraikan's follow-up gave them control. It is the kind of contribution that defines a top scorer, and it is the moment from this Gulf Cup that Saudi fans are likely to remember most clearly.
Background: Al-Buraikan and the Arabian Gulf Cup
Al-Buraikan is a Saudi striker who came through the youth system at Al-Nassr and has become a regular part of the national team's attack. He was in the Saudi squad that beat Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, one of the most celebrated results in the country's football history.
The Arabian Gulf Cup was first held in 1970 and is contested by the Gulf states, Iraq and Yemen. It carries enormous prestige in the region, and individual awards at the tournament are valued as recognition of the best performers in Gulf football. Finishing as top scorer of a title-winning side, with a goal in the final itself, is about as complete a tournament as a centre-forward can have. Full tables and results are available on our Gulf Cup of Nations page.
What's next for Al-Buraikan
With the Gulf Cup trophy secured, Al-Buraikan returns to club football carrying the confidence of a tournament-winning campaign and the top scorer award. For Saudi Arabia's coaching staff, his form in front of goal and his ability to deliver in a final will be valuable as the national team turns to its next international commitments. Yalla Shoot will keep following the Green Falcons, and you can check all upcoming fixtures on our matches page.