West Asian Football Federation

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The West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) is a division of the Asian Football Confederation that oversees the development of football in Western Asia. Founded in 2001, it was established by six founding members: Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria.

Since its inception, the WAFF has expanded to include several other countries from the region. In 2009, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen joined the federation, while four more countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia – became members in 2010. These additions brought the total number of member states to eight.

The WAFF is responsible for organizing and hosting various football championships across Western Asia, including men's, women's, and youth teams, as well as futsal competitions among men and women. The federation also participates in international tournaments such as the World Cup and the Asian Cups.

At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, West Asian countries failed to qualify for the final tournament for the first time since its inception. However, they have continued to participate in subsequent editions of the competition. In fact, teams from Western Asia have made it to the final stages on several occasions, with Saudi Arabia achieving their best result in 1994 by reaching the quarterfinals.

The WAFF has also been involved in various other international competitions, including the Asian Cups. The countries of Western Asia have participated in these tournaments since 1968 and have hosted them seven times – twice for Iran (in 1968 and 1976), once each for Qatar (1988) and Kuwait (1992), and four times for Saudi Arabia.

As a member of the WAFF, each country is represented by its national team. The federation's activities are overseen by its headquarters in Amman, Jordan, which serves as the central hub for football development across Western Asia.

Participating Countries

The following countries are members of the West Asian Football Federation:

* Bahrain
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel (note: not geographically included in Western Asia but part of UEFA)
* Jordan
* Kuwait
* Lebanon
* Oman
* Palestine
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Syria
* United Arab Emirates

Former Participating Countries

The following countries have been members of the West Asian Football Federation at some point:

* Yemen (left the federation in 2010)

Activities and Achievements

The WAFF organizes various