The Biggest Football Stars Who Have Played in the UAE

Football is a popular sport in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. Residents enjoy watching the top European leagues, but the country also has its own elite professional league called the UAE Pro League.

The league was founded in 1973 and features 14 professional teams. In recent years, investment in the league and improved performances have attracted some of the game's biggest names. We look at some of the top players to have plied their trade in the UAE Pro League.

Al-Nasr SC

Al-Nasr SC is considered the oldest club in the UAE. It was founded in 1945 and has 15 major trophies to its name. Back in 2018, the club signed Yohan Cabaye from Crystal Palace, where he had spent three seasons in the Premier League. The Frenchman spent a further three years in the Premier League with Newcastle United and won three Ligue 1 titles and four domestic cups in France playing for Lille and PSG.

Not many would have backed this to be his next destination!

Yohan Cabaye has headed to the UAE Arabian Gulf League.

Full story: https://t.co/JMvNxObX2G pic.twitter.com/wzYXoNYV36

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 3, 2018

Other notable players to have featured for Al-Nasr include former Manchester City and Sevilla star Alvaro Negredo. The forward was part of Spain's Euro 2012 winning squad and bagged a Premier League winner's medal with the Sky Blues. In Dubai, he won the 2019-20 UAE League Cup with Al Nasr before signing for Spanish side Cadiz in 2020.

Al Ain FC

The most successful club in the UAE is Al Ain FC. The team known as The Boss (Al Zaeem) has won 14 league titles, seven President's Cups, five Super Cups, two League Cups, and an AFC Champions League title among other titles. Their success means they are often priced as pre-season favorites to win the league and other silverware. The club also attracts a lot of tourists to the stadium. If you want to see a game, you can buy tickets online or at the box office. But if you enjoy wagering on football, you should check out this guide to gambling in Dubai before you go.

One of Al Ain's most successful signings was Asamoah Gyan who arrived from Sunderland in 2011. The forward went on to score 123 goals in 123 appearances in Dubai, winning three league titles, one President's Cup, and a UAE Super Cup. In the summer of 2022, Al Ain made another star signing, snapping up former Borussia Dortmund and West Ham United player Andriy Yarmolenko.

Sharjah FC

In 2022, six-time UEA League champions Sharjah caused a shock when they signed Spanish international Paco Alcacer on a three-year deal from Villarreal. The 29-year-old also played for Valencia, Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund and has 152 career goals to his name. He hit the ground running in the UAE, scoring in each of his first two starts.

I am very happy to announce that I am a new @SharjahFC player. I can't wait to start this new adventure both professionally and personally for me and my family! pic.twitter.com/ZW29lRH0BB

— Paco Alcácer (@paco93alcacer) August 17, 2022

The club also signed highly-rated midfielder Miralem Pjanic from Barcelona. Sharjah last won the league in 2019 but that was their only league title since 1994. They will be hoping to add to that tally this season after investing in two of Europe's top players.

As well as famous players, the UAE has also attracted some big-name managers. None more so than Diego Maradona. The Argentine legend coached Al-Wasl from 2011 to 2012 and Fujairah from 2017 to 2018. Unfortunately, Maradona was unable to emulate the success of his playing career and left the Emirates without any honors.