United Arab Emirates Football Association


The United Arab Emirates Football Association is the governing body of association football, beach soccer and futsal in the United Arab Emirates.

Current association staff

President

The following is a list of selected presidents of the United Arab Emirates Football Association including pre-UAEFA era.
PresidentTerm
Mubarak Al Nahyan1957–1961
Ghanem Ghabbash1973–1974
Mana' Al Maktoum1974–1976
Sultan Al Nahyan1976–1981
Hamdan Al Nahyan1984–1993
Abdullah Al Nahyan1993–2001
Saeed Al Nahyan2001–2002
Yousuf Al Serkal2004–2008
Muhammed Al Rumaithi2008–2011
Yousuf Al Serkal2011–2016
Marwan Ghalaita2016–2020
Rashid Al Nuaimi2020–2023
Hamdan bin Mubarak2023–

Activity

At the level of developing the national cadres, the FA chose 2010 as the Year of the National Coach and signed various agreements with some national associations in the game for development and training including Germany, Spain, Czech, Italy and Egypt. The national coaches took over the youth and junior national teams and they were provided with financial support.
At the organizational level, the FA hosted the FIFA Club World Cups in 2009 and 2010, the 2009 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and other friendly and official championships and supported the women football and launched the Futsal in collaboration with sports council within the country. The next step is to organize and host the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
In 2010, UAEFA partnered with the Mubadala Development Company to launch the UAEFA Grassroots Festivals, a state-wide campaign to recruit and train certain players.
In July 2011, a 3-year sponsoring deal was signed with Panasonic. In January 2016, UAEFA signed a partnership with the United States Sports Academy to provide UAEFA a football club operators licensing program.
In December 2016, UAEFA renewed its partnership with the Japan Football Association.
In February 2017, UAEFA warned 46 football players about their inappropriate hairstyles that did not conform to its guidelines.
In October 2017, UAEFA requested that the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup be postponed while the issue with Qatar was being resolved.

Management

League system

Domestic Cups

Intercontinental

  • FIFA World Cup
  • * 24th: 1990
  • FIFA U-20 World Cup
  • * 8th: 2003, 2009
  • * 16th: 1997
  • FIFA Confederations Cup
  • * 6th: 1997
  • Summer Olympics
  • * 15th: 2012

    Continental

  • AFC Asian Cup
  • * 2nd: 1996
  • * 3rd: 2015
  • * 4th: 1992, 2019
  • * 6th: 1984
  • * 8th: 1988
  • * 9th: 1980
  • * 10th: 2023
  • * 12th: 2007
  • * 13th: 2011
  • * 15th: 2004
  • AFC U-23 Asian Cup
  • * 5th: 2016
  • * 6th: 2020
  • * 8th: 2013, 2026
  • * 11th: 2022
  • * 15th: 2024
  • AFC U-20 Asian Cup
  • * 1st: 2008
  • * 3rd: 1985, 1996
  • * 4th: 1982, 1988, 1992
  • * 6th: 2002
  • * 7th: 2010, 2014
  • * 9th: 2018
  • * 10th: 2000, 2016
  • * 11th: 2012
  • * 15th: 2006
  • Asian Games
  • * 2nd: 2010
  • * 3rd: 2018
  • * 5th: 1986
  • * 8th: 1994
  • * 10th: 2014
  • * 13th: 2002
  • * 15th: 1998
  • * 18th: 2006

    Regional

  • FIFA Arab Cup
  • * 3rd: 2025
  • * 4th: 1998
  • * 7th: 2021
  • Arab Cup U-20
  • * 10th: 2020, 2021
  • * 13th: 2022
  • Arab Games
  • * 4th: 2007
  • * 5th: 1997
  • * 7th: 1999
  • * 8th: 1985
  • WAFF Champioship
  • * TBD: 2026
  • Arabian Gulf Cup
  • * 1st: 2007, 2013
  • * 2nd: 1986, 1988, 1994, 2018
  • * 3rd: 1972, 1982, 1998, 2014
  • * 4th: 1974, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2010
  • * 5th: 1976, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2009
  • * 6th: 1979, 2002
  • * 7th: 2019, 2023
  • AGCFF U-17 Gulf Cup
  • * 1st: 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013
  • * 2nd: 2008, 2025
  • * 3rd: 2003, 2011, 2012, 2016

    Other

  • Palestine Cup of Nations
  • * 8th: 1973
  • * 10th: 1975
  • Merdeka Tournament
  • * 4th: 1981
  • * 5th: 1982
  • Friendship Tournament
  • * 1st: 1996, 1998
  • * 2nd: 1999
  • * 3rd: 2001
  • Oman Cup
  • * ' 1st: 2000
  • Kirin Cup
  • * ' 1st: 2000
  • International Arab Friendly Tournament
  • * 2nd: 2005
  • Dubai Challenge Cup
  • * 4th: 2008
  • UAE International Cup
  • * 2nd: 2009
  • OSN Cup
  • * 1st: 2013
  • King's Cup
  • * 4th: 2016, 2018

    National Women’s

Beach

Futsal

CompetitionTotal
Futsal AFC Asian Cup0000
Total0000

Men’s Clubs

Intercontinental

  • FIFA Club World Cup
  • * ' 2nd: 2018
  • * 4th: 2017
  • * 6th: 2010, 2021
  • * 7th: 2009
  • * 21st: 2025
  • FIFA Intercontinental Cup
  • * 5th: 2024
  • African–Asian–Pacific Cup
  • * ' 2nd: 2024

    Continental

  • AFC Champions League Elite
  • * 1st: 2003, 2024
  • * 2nd: 2005, 2015, 2016
  • * 3rd: 1993, 1999
  • AFC Champions League Two
  • * 1st: 2025
  • * 2nd: 1995
CompetitionTotal
FIFA Club World Cup01 01
FIFA Intercontinental Cup0000
AFC Champions League Elite2 3 2 5
AFC Champions League Two1 1 02
UAFA Arab Club Championship000
AGCFF Champions League8 4 0
City of Granada Trophy1 001
UAE–Morocco Super Cup2 002
UAEFA–QFA Super Cup7 3 010
Total2112235

Women’s

Futsal