Today's Edition
RABI HAMAMSAH (ABU DHABI)
The UAE’s football clubs have won 159 accredited local, regional, and international championship titles since the founding of the UAE Football Association in 1971 until the crowning of Al Ain football club as winners of the AFC Champions League Cup on Saturday, May 25, 2024.
Over the past 53 years, 12 Emirati teams have topped the podium as champions of accredited local, regional, and international tournaments.
Al Ain football club came first with 38 titles distributed across local, regional, and international tournaments. This was followed by Shabab Al Ahly with 29, while Al Nasr and Sharjah shared third place with 19 titles each. Al Wahda came fourth with 15, Al Shabab fifth with 12, Al Wasl sixth with 11 and Al Jazeera came seventh with 10. Bani Yas, Ajman, Emirates, and Al Shaab clubs maintained places from eight to 11 with two titles for each team.
The Tournaments
The 159 titles of the Emirates clubs were distributed among local, regional and international championships that include the President’s Cup, the General League with its various titles, the Professional Cup, the Super Cup, and the “Elite” Super League, which was held in four seasons for the best-ranked teams at the conclusion of the league championship, and the Joint League, which was held in six seasons with the participation of UAE clubs from all divisions, the Federation Cup, the Arabian Gulf Champions League, the AFC Champions League, and the Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup.
Achievements
Al Ain won 36 titles: the General League 14 times, the Cup 7 times, the Super Cup 3 times, the Federation Cup 3 times, the Professional Cup 2 times, the Super League 3 times, the Joint League 1 time, the Arabian Gulf Champions League 1 time, the AFC Champions League 2 times, and the UAE- Moroccan Super League 1 time.
Shabab Al Ahly won 29 titles: the Cup 10 times, the General League 7 times, the Professional Cup 5 times, the Super Cup 5 times, the Joint League 1 time, and the UAE-Moroccan Super Cup 1 time.
Shabab Al Ahly was crowned champion of the Gulf Clubs Championship 3 times in 1992, 2011 and 2015. Al Ain won the Gulf Clubs Championship Cup in 2001 and won the AFC Champions Cup in 2003 and 2024.
Al Jazira won the Gulf Club Championship in 2007. Al Wasl Club won the Gulf Club Championship in 2009. Bani Yas won the Gulf Club Championship title in 2013. Al-Nasr won the Gulf Club Championship in 2014.
Shabab Al Ahly participated in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009. Al Wahda took part in the Club World Cup in 2010. Al Jazira Club played in the Club World Cup in 2017. Al Ain Club achieved second place in the FIFA Club World Cup 2018.
