Al-Ain FC
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Al Ain Football Club (;
transliterated Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...
: Nady al-'Ayn) is a professional
football club In association football, a football club (or association football club, alternatively soccer club) is a sports club that acts as an entity through which association football teams organise their sporting activities. The club can exist either as ...
based in the city of
Al Ain Al Ain () is a city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the seat of the administrative division of the Al Ain Region. The city is Oman–United Arab Emirates border, bordered to the east by the Omani town of Al-Buraimi. Al A ...
,
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
, United Arab Emirates. It is one of many sport sections of the multi-sports club Al Ain Sports and Cultural Club (). The club was founded in 1968 by players from Al Ain, members of a Bahraini group of exchange students and the Sudanese community working in the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
. The team quickly gained popularity and recognition throughout the country, being the team with the most trophies (38 in total). Al Ain is by far the most successful club in the UAE. Al Ain has won a record 14
UAE Pro League The UAE Pro League (), also known as the ADNOC Pro League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the highest level of the Emirati football league system. The first team to w ...
, 7 President's Cups, 5 Super Cups, 3 Federation Cups, two League Cup, two Abu Dhabi Championship, Joint League,
Gulf Club Champions Cup The AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League (), formerly known as the GCC Champions League, is a regional football competition governed by the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) for clubs from its eight member nations. The tournament was founde ...
and two
AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...
and one Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup. The club is the first and only UAE side so far to win the AFC Champions League.


History


Foundation and early years

In the early 1960s, a group of young men learned the rules of the game by watching British soldiers playing football and formed their own team. The first pitch was very simple and small, taking the shape of a square sandy plot of land on the main street near the Clock Roundabout in Al Ain. In August 1968, the club was officially established, taking its name from the
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
they lived. The founders thought it was necessary to have a permanent headquarters for the club and rented a house on the current Khalifa Road for club meetings. The club's founders took responsibility for all the club's affairs, from planning the stadium to cleaning the club headquarters and washing the kit. Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 7 September 1948 – 13 May 2022) was the second president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, serving from November 2004 until his death in May 2022. Khalifa was the eldes ...
was approached for assistance and he provided the club with a permanent headquarters in the Al Jahili district and a
Land Rover Land Rover is a brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR builds Land Rovers in Brazil ...
to serve the club and the team. Al Ain made a successful debut by beating a team made up of British soldiers and went on to play friendly matches against other Abu Dhabi clubs. In 1971, the team played their first match against international opposition when they were defeated 7–0 by the Egyptian club
Ismaily Ismaily Sporting Club () is an Egyptian football club, established on 20 March 1921 as El Nahda Sporting Club () ( Egyptian pronunciation: Nady El Nahda), based in Ismaïlia, Egypt. The club is best known for its football team. Also it's consi ...
in a friendly match for the war effort. In 1971, a group members of the club (Hadher Khalaf Al Muhairi, Saleem Al Khudrawi, Mohammed Khalaf Al Muhairi and Mahmoud Fadhlullah) broke away and founded Al Tadhamun Club. In 1971, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan provided the club with new headquarters with modern specifications: the
Khalifa Stadium Khalifa International Stadium (, , ) is a multi-purpose stadium located in Doha, Qatar, around west from the centre of Doha. Its ground comprises a running track and a grass pitch. Opened in 1976, the stadium was named after then Emir of Qata ...
in Al Sarooj district. On 10 November 1974, Al Ain combined with the breakaway Al Tadhamun, to form the ''Al Ain Sports Club''. The first board of directors of the club was formed after the merger under the chairmanship Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri. The founders were Mohammed Saleh Bin Badooh and Khalifa Nasser Al Suwaidi, Saeed Bin Ghannoum Al Hameli, Abdullah Hazzam, Salem Hassan Al Muhairi, Abdullah and Mane'a Ajlan, Saeed Al Muwaisi, Nasser Dhaen, Abdullah Matar, Juma Al Najem, Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, Ibrahim Rasool and Ali Al Maloud and Ali Bu Majeed, who were the members of the Bahraini group of exchange students and Maamoun Abdulqader, Mahmoud Fadhlullah, Al Fateh Al Talib, Hussain Al Mirghani, Abbas Ali and Nasser, Abdullah Al Mansouri from the Sudanese and Saudi community working in the UAE.


First titles and Entry to the Football League (1974–1997)

On 2 February 1974, the club won its first title, the Abu Dhabi League. On 13 November 1974, Sheikh Khalifa was named honorary president of Al Ain, in recognition of his continuing support for the club. On 21 May 1975, Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan was elected Chairman of Board of Directors. In 1975, Al Ain won its second Abu Dhabi League. In the same year on 21 March 1975, the club played its first UAE President Cup losing 4–5 on penalties in the Round of 16 against Al Shaab after drawing 1–1 in normal time. In 1975–76 season, the team participated for the first time in the
UAE Football League The UAE Pro League (), also known as the ADNOC Pro League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the highest level of the Emirati football league system. The first team to wi ...
, finishing runners-up behind Al Ahli. Al Ain won its first League title in the 1976–77 season, after drawing 1–1 with Al Sharjah in the last match. In the following season, they finished runners-up to Al Nasr; Mohieddine Habita was the top scorer with 20 goals. In the 1978–79 season, Al Ain secure third place with 27 points in the league and defeated by Sharjah in the President Cup final.
Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 11 March 1961), also known as MbZ, is an Emirati royal and politician who is serving as the third and current president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi since 2022. Mohamed completed his edu ...
became president of Al Ain on 19 January 1979. Al Ain won the League again in the 1980–81 season and lost the President Cup final to Al Shabab of Dubai. In 1983–84, the team won Joint League Cup and followed with its third League title, becoming the second with Al Ahli to have won the championship three times. The team had the strongest attack with 35 goals, and Ahmed Abdullah, with 20 goals was the joint-winner of the Arab League Golden Boot award for top scorer, alongside Al Wasl striker
Fahad Khamees Fahad Khamees Mubarak (; born 24 January 1962) is an Emirati retired footballer who played as a striker for the UAE national football team and Al Wasl FC in Dubai. He played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and was the captain of the team in the m ...
. This season was the first season in which foreign players were excluded from the UAE League, a restriction which was opposed by Al Ain. After winning the League title in 1983–84 season, Al Ain failed to win any trophies until 1989 when they won the Federation Cup. In the following year they reached the final of the President Cup, losing to Al Shabab. The 1992–93 season began with several new signings: Saif Sultan ( Ittihad Kalba), Salem Johar (
Ajman Ajman ( '; Gulf Arabic: عيمان ''ʿYmān'') is the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. It is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, fifth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. Loca ...
), Saeed Juma (
Emirates Emirates may refer to: * United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective ...
). Al Ain won their fourth League title with three games left to play, after a 5–0 win at Al Khaleej. In the following season, they finished second in the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
and were runners-up the 1993 UAE Super Cup losing 2–1 against Al Shaab. They also reached the President Cup final but were beaten 1–0 by Al Shabab, failing for the fourth time to win the Cup. In 1994 and 1995, Al Ain lost two President Cup finals, finished second in the
League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
, won the 1995 UAE Super Cup and lost out in the
Asian Cup Winners' Cup The Asian Cup Winners' Cup was an Asian football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-Asian club competition organised by Asian Football Confedera ...
second round to the Kuwaiti team
Kazma Kazma () is an area in Kuwait. It is located in Al Jahra Governorate, north of Kuwait City, the capital of Kuwait. It is an ancient area with a long history, known to Persians and Arabs since the Sassanid, Jahiliyyah and the early Islamic eras. ...
. In the 1996–97 season, Al Ain were eliminated in the round of 16 of the President Cup by Hatta and finished fourth in the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
.


The Golden Age (1997–2003)

Before the start of the 1997–98 season, the honorary board was formed on 7 June 1997. After this initiative, Al Ain won the league championship. In the following season, they won the President Cup and finished runner-up in the league and secured the third place in their second appearance in
Asian Club Championship The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious cl ...
, after the
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
.
Ilie Balaci Ilie Balaci (; 13 September 1956 – 21 October 2018) was a Romanian football player and manager. A midfielder, he spent 12 of his 15 years as a professional with Universitatea Craiova, appearing in more than 300 official games with the club a ...
took charge in 1999. He led them to their sixth League championship, while in the
Asian Cup Winners' Cup The Asian Cup Winners' Cup was an Asian football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-Asian club competition organised by Asian Football Confedera ...
they were eliminated by Al Jaish on the
away goals rule The away goals rule is a method of tiebreaking in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. Under the away goals rule, if the total goals scored by each team are equal, the team that ...
in the first round. In 2003, Al Ain contested the
AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...
competition. In the Group stage they won all three matches, beating Al Hilal of
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
,
Al Sadd Al Sadd Sports Club () is a Qatari sports club based in the Al Sadd district of the capital city Doha. It is best known for its association football team, which competes in the top level of Qatari football, the Qatar Stars League. Locally, it i ...
of
Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
and Esteghlal of
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. In the semi-final they were matched against the Chinese side
Dalian Shide Dalian Shide was a professional Chinese football club based in Dalian, Liaoning province, China who played in China's football league system between 1955 and 2012. Their home stadiums were the 55,843 capacity Dalian People's Stadium and then lat ...
over two legs. In the first game, Al Ain won 4–2 at home, with Boubacar Sanogo scoring twice. In the return match in China Al Ain went 4–2 down with six minutes to play but won 7–6 on aggregate after a late goal by
Farhad Majidi Farhad Majidi (; born 3 June 1976) is an Iranian football coach and former player who most recently managed Al Bataeh Club. He mostly played as attacking midfielder for Esteghlal when he was a football player. He scored 2 important goal for A ...
the Iranian legend. The final saw Al Ain face
BEC Tero Sasana Police Tero Football Club (), formerly known as BEC-Tero Sasana, is a Thai professional football club based in Lak Si, Bangkok. The club finished runners-up in the inaugural AFC Champions League competition in 2003. BEC-Tero Sasana Football Club ...
of
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. In the home leg, Al Ain prevailed 2–0 with goals from Salem Johar and Mohammad Omar. At the
Rajamangala Stadium The Rajamangala National Stadium (; , ) is the national stadium of Thailand national football team. It is part of the Hua Mak Sports Complex, and is located in Hua Mak Subdistrict, Bang Kapi, Bangkok. Its official opening on 6 December 1998 co ...
on 11 October, Al Ain were beaten 1–0 by Tero Sasana, but won 2–1 on aggregate to become the first Emirati club to win the Champions League.


New Era (2016–''present'')

In December 2018, Al Ain which celebrated the 50th anniversary participating in the
2018 FIFA Club World Cup The 2018 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 presented by Alibaba Cloud for sponsorship reasons) was the 15th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised international club football tournament between ...
, representing the host nation as the reigning champions of the UAE Pro-League. Al Ain beat
Team Wellington Team Wellington Football Club was an association football club based in the suburb of Miramar in Wellington, New Zealand. They competed in the ISPS Handa Premiership. Team Wellington had traditionally been one of the most successful football c ...
from
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
in the first round and
Espérance de Tunis :''See also Esperance (disambiguation)'' Espérance is one of the two French language, French words that can be translated into "hope", the other being "espoir". Whereas the latter is closer to the idea of "dream" or "fantasy" and corresponds to mo ...
of
2018 CAF Champions League The 2018 CAF Champions League (officially the 2018 Total CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 54th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 22nd edition ...
champions to enter semifinal. On 18 December 2018, Al Ain defeated
Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournam ...
champions River Plate by penalties hosted in their home stadium
Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium The Hazza bin Zayed Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium, located in the city of Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi, the UAE. It is the home stadium of Al-Ain FC of the UAE Pro-League. The stadium holds 22,717 spectators and opened in 2014. The stadium was nam ...
to enter the final for the first time in team history and became the first Emirati club to reach the decisive match. On 22 December during the
2018 FIFA Club World Cup Final The 2018 FIFA Club World Cup final was the final match of the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup, an international club association football tournament hosted by the United Arab Emirates. It was the 15th final of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised t ...
, Al Ain lost 4–1 to
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
winners
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
at the
Zayed Sports City Stadium Zayed Sports City Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium located in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The largest stadium in the UAE with 45,000 seats, it was featured on the AED 200 banknote. The stadium was opened in 1979 ...
in
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
with Japanese player
Tsukasa Shiotani is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Shiotani is a well-decorated player, having won 8 trophies as of 2025, and has been named in the J.League Team of the Year for three years in a row, from ...
scoring the only goal for the club. In the
2023–24 AFC Champions League The 2023–24 AFC Champions League was the 42nd edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 21st and final under the AFC Champions League title, as the competition would be rebra ...
campaign, Al Ain was drawn with Saudi Arabia club Al Fayha, Uzbekistan side Pakhtakor and Turkmenistan side
Ahal FK Ahal Änew Football Club (), or simply Ahal FK, is a Turkmen professional football club based in the Änew, Ahal Province. Founded in 1989, the club played its first-ever top flight season in 1992. The club plays its home matches at the 20,000 ...
. Al Ain than finished the group as group leaders with 5 wins, 0 draws and 1 losses which saw the club qualified to the Round of 16. Al Ain then faced Uzbekistan club
Nasaf Qarshi ( ; ) is a city in southern Uzbekistan. It is the capital of Qashqadaryo Region. Administratively, Qarshi is a district-level city, that includes the urban-type settlement Qashqadaryo. It has a population of 278,300 (2021 estimate). It ...
in which Al Ain won 3–0 on aggregate to qualify to the quarter-finals. Al Ain then faced Saudi Arabian giants
Al Nassr Al-Nassr Football Club () is a professional football club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The club competes in the Saudi Pro League, the top tier of the Saudi football league system. Al-Nassr is one of only three clubs to have participated ...
, containing multiplies world renowned superstars, like
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Saudi Pr ...
,
Sadio Mané Sadio Mané (born 10 April 1992) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a forward or left winger for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr and the Senegal national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest African players o ...
,
Alex Telles Alex Nicolao Telles (; born 15 December 1992) is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a left-back for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, Botafogo. Telles started his career at Br ...
, David Ospina, Aymeric Laporte,
Marcelo Brozović Marcelo Brozović (; born 16 November 1992) is a Croatian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder, defensive midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr FC, Al-Nassr. After coming up through NK Hrvatski Dragovol ...
and
Talisca Anderson Souza Conceição (born 1 February 1994), known as Anderson Talisca or simply Talisca, is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as an Midfielder#Attacking midfielder, attacking midfielder and Forward (assoc ...
. Al Ain won the first leg 1–0 at home but suffered a 4–3 away defeat after extra time, which saw the game being tied 4–4 on aggregate leading to a penalty shootout. Al Ain managed to win 3–1 on penalties, thus seeing them qualified to the semi-finals against another Saudi Arabian giants, Al Hilal. On 17 April 2024, Al Ain won Al Hilal 4–2 at home, with Moroccan
Soufiane Rahimi Soufiane Rahimi (; born 2 June 1996) is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a forward for UAE Pro League club Al Ain and the Morocco national team. Rahimi started his professional career playing for Raja CA, before being sent on a ...
scoring a hat-trick in the match for the club. However, Al Ain suffered an 2–1 away defeat to Al Hilal but managed to qualify to the 2023–24 AFC Champions League final 5–4 on aggregate, thus seeing them face Japanese Yokohama F. Marinos where they’d suffer a 2-1 defeat in the first leg. However, in the second leg they’d go on to win 5-1 and win 6-3 on aggregate making them champions of Asia.


Club rivalries


Abu Dhabi Classico (Al Ain vs Al Wahda)


Al Ain–Shabab Al Ahli rivalry


Al Ain–Sharjah rivalry


Crest, colours, logo


Crests

Al Jahili Fort Al-Jahili Fort () is a 19th century fort in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The fort was built in 1891 in Al-Jahili Oasis by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan for the protection of date palm farmers. In 1955, it served as a base for the Tru ...
is considered as a symbol of the club, because it reflects the history of the city and also was the formal home of Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati royal, politician, philanthropist and the founder of the United Arab Emirates. Zayed served as the governor of Eastern Region from 1946 until he became ...
since 1946 when he was a ruler's representative. It officially became a crest for the club in 1980. They import a two stars in their emblem because of their AFC Champions League's 2x winners (2003 and 2023).


Logo

3 colors purple, gold and white are used in Al Ain club logo. Inside the logo, the name of the club is engraved in Arabic and English. In the middle of the logo, there is an image of
Al Jahili Fort Al-Jahili Fort () is a 19th century fort in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The fort was built in 1891 in Al-Jahili Oasis by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan for the protection of date palm farmers. In 1955, it served as a base for the Tru ...
Castle, and at the end of the logo, the date of the club's establishment is written. Above the logo, two golden stars can be seen which means winning two championship positions in
AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...
.


Kits and colours

The team began playing in green and white in 1968. After merging with Al Tadhamon in 1974, their red colour became Al Ain's from season 1974–75 until the start of season 1976–77. During the first team training camp in Morocco in 1977, a friendly tournament was held by Moroccan club
Wydad Casablanca Wydad Athletic Club (, ), often known outside Morocco as Wydad Casablanca, is a Moroccan sports club based in Casablanca. Wydad AC is best known for its professional football team that competes in Botola, the top tier of the Moroccan football ...
with the
Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionSporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries,
, and
Anderlecht Anderlecht (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, B ...
. Al Ain admired Anderlecht's purple colors, and an idea came to change Al Ain's colors to purple. The idea was presented to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, who agreed to change the club colors officially to the purple with the beginning of the season 1977–78. ;Notes


Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors


Grounds

Al Ain first playground was set up on the main street near the Clock Roundabout in
Al Ain Al Ain () is a city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the seat of the administrative division of the Al Ain Region. The city is Oman–United Arab Emirates border, bordered to the east by the Omani town of Al-Buraimi. Al A ...
. Took the shape of a square sandy plot of land. In 1971, Al Ain moved to new stadium in Al Sarouj district at a cost of £40,290. On 18 June 1978, the new stadium named after honorary president
Khalifa Bin Zayed Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 7 September 1948 – 13 May 2022) was the second president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, serving from November 2004 until his death in May 2022. Khalifa was the eldest ...
known as
Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium in Al Ain, the United Arab Emirates. History The first international football match to be played in Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium was the Qatar vs Egypt match on 2 October 2000. One of the ...
. The stadium underwent a renovation in 2002 and increased its capacity to 12,000 people and as of the 2006–07 season all the Al Ain matches are played in this stadium. The stadium went through another significant upgrade and renovation, to prepare for the
2019 AFC Asian Cup The 2019 AFC Asian Cup (or commonly called the Asian Cup 2019) was the 17th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international association football, football championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ...
, hosted in the UAE. As of 14 January 2014, Hazza bin Zayed been Al Ain home ground.


Honours

* *


Minor titles

* Abu Dhabi Championship ** Winners (2): 1973–74, 1974–75


Awards & recognitions

* Globe Soccer for The Best Middle East Club: 2024


Doubles and trebles

* Doubles: **
League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
and
President's Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world except Europe as that continent competes against the United States in a similar but ...
(1): 2017–18 **
League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
and League Cup (1): 2021–22 **
President's Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world except Europe as that continent competes against the United States in a similar but ...
and Federation Cup/ League Cup (3): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09 * Trebles: **
League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
,
Super Cup A super cup is a competition, in association football, basketball, handball, volleyball and rugby union which often forms the 'curtain raiser' to a season, and typically involves only two teams who have qualified through success in other competi ...
and Champions League (1): 2002–03


Players


Current squad


Out on loan


Personnel


Current technical staff

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Vladimir Ivić Vladimir "Vladan" Ivić (; born 7 May 1977) is a Serbian football manager and former player, who is the head coach of UAE Pro League club Al-Ain. A former Serbia and Montenegro international, Ivić is best remembered for his time with Partiz ...
, - , Assistant coaches ,
Miloš Veselinović Miloš Veselinović ( sr-Cyrl, Милош Веселиновић; born 12 November 1979) is a Serbian football coach and a former player. He is the assistant coach of Russian club Krasnodar. Career After a youth career in Red Star, Veselinović ...

Ahmed Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah (born Leroy Bland; May 10, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter who was a prominent member of Sun Ra's band. Biography He began playing the trumpet at age 13 in his native New York City. One of the first groups he performed with wa ...

Abdulla Khaseeb Alnasri
Salem Al-Kaabi , - , Chief analyst , ,
Carles Martínez Carles Marc Martínez Embuena (born 3 January 1988 in Paiporta, Valencian Community) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently the chief analyst of Emirati club Al Ain Al Ain () is ...
, - , Analyst , Jamal Al-Karbi , - , Goalkeeping coaches , Christos Kelpekis , - , Fitness coach , Nikolaos Amanatidis , - , U-21 team head coach , Ismail Ahmed , - , Physiotherapist , Santiago Thompson
Felipe Perseu Pianca
Abdelnasser Aljohny , - , Club Doctor , Nikos Tzouroudis , - , Nutritionist , Ricardo Pinto , - , Scout , Daniele Di Napoli , - , Team manager , Ahmed Al Shamsi , - , Team supervisor , Abdullah Al Shamsi


Management

{, class="wikitable" , - ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Position ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Name , -


Board of directors

{, class="wikitable" , - ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Office ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Name , -


Managerial history

* Served as caretaker coach. {, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; display:inline-table;" ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", No. ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Nationality ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Head coach ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", From ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Until ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Honours , - , 1 , , align=center, * , , 1968, , 1971 , , - , 2 , , align=center, , , 1971 , , 1973 , , - , 3 , , align=center, , , 1973, , 1976 , 2 Abu Dhabi Championship , - , 4 , , align=center, , , 1976, , 1978 , 1 Championship , - , 5 , , align=center, , , 1978, , 1979 , , - , 6 , , align=center, , , 1979, , 1980 , , - , 7 , , align=center, * , , 1980, , 1982 , 1 Championship , - , 8 , , align=center, , , 1982, , 1984 , 1 Championship,
1 Joint League , - , 9 , , align=center, , , 1984, , 1986 , , - , 10 , , align=center, , , 1986, , 1986 , , - , 11 , , align=center, , , 1986, , 1988 , , - , 12 , , align=center, , , 1988, , 1990 , 1 Federation Cup , - , 13 , , align=center, , , 1990, , 1992 , , - , 14 , , align=center, , , 1992, , 1992 , , - , 15 , , align=center, , , 1992, , 1995 , 1 Championship , - , 16 , , align=center, , , 1995, , 1995 , 1 Supercup , - , 17 , , align=center, , , 1995, , 1996 , , - , 18 , , align=center, , , 1996, , 1996 , , - , 19 , , align=center, Yusri Abdul Ghani* , , 1996, , 1997 , , - , 20 , , align=center, , , 1997, , 1997 , , - , 21 , , align=center, , , 1997, , 1998 , 1 Championship , - , 22 , , align=center, , , 1998, , 15 November 1998 , , - , 23 , , align=center, , , 15 November 1998, , 10 May 2000 , 1 President's Cup
1 Championship , - , 24 , , align=center, , , 29 June 2000, , November 2000 , , - , 25 , , align=center, , , November 2000, , March 2001 , 1 Gulf Club Champions Cup , - , 26 , , align=center, , , March 2001, , 4 January 2002 , 1 President's Cup , - , 27 , , align=center, * , , 6 January 2002, , 8 January 2002 , , - , 28 , , align=center, , , 8 January 2002, , 15 June 2002 , 1 Championship , - , 29 , , align=center, , , 14 July 2002, , 1 June 2004 , 2 Championships,
1 Champions League,
1 Supercup , - , 30 , , align=center, , , July 2004, , 21 Oct 2004 , , - , 31 , , align=center, * , , 23 Oct 2004, , Jan 2005 , 1 Federation Cup {, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; display:inline-table;" ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", No. ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Nationality ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Head coach ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", From ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Until ! style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Honours , - , 32 , , align=center, , , Jan 2005, , Jan 2006 , 1 President's Cup , - , 33 , , align=center, * , , Jan 2006, , June 2006 , , 1 President's Cup,
1 Federation Cup , - , 34 , , align=center, , , June 2006, , Nov 2006 , , - , 35 , , align=center, * , , Nov 2006, , January 2007 , , - , 36 , , align=center, , , 7 January 2007, , 1 June 2007 , , - , 37 , , align=center, , , 9 July 2007, , 22 Dec 2007 , , - , 38 , , align=center, , , 25 Dec 2007, , 2 Dec 2009 , 1 League Cup,
1 President's Cup,
1 Supercup , - , 39 , , align=center, * , , 2 Dec 2009, , 6 Dec 2009 , , - , 40 , , align=center, , , 6 Dec 2009, , 14 April 2010 , , - , 41 , , align=center, * , , 14 April 2010, , 20 Dec 2010 , , - , 42 , , align=center, * , , 20 Dec 2010, , 30 Dec 2010 , , - , 43 , , align=center, , , 30 Dec 2010, , 6 June 2011 , , - , 44 , , align=center, , , 6 June 2011, , 6 July 2013 , 2 Championships,
1 Supercup , - , 45 , , align=center, , , 29 July 2013, , 13 Sept 2013 , , - , 46 , , align=center, * , , 13 Sept 2013, , 27 Sept 2013 , , - , 47 , , align=center, , , 27 Sept 2013, , 8 March 2014 , , - , 48 , , align=center, , , 8 March 2014, , 23 January 2017 , 1 Championship,
1 President's Cup,
1 Supercup
1 Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup , - , 49 , , align=center, * , , 23 January 2017, , 1 February 2017 , , - , 50 , , align=center, , , 1 February 2017, , 30 January 2019 , 1 Championship,
1 President's Cup , - , 51 , , align=center, * , , 30 January 2019, , 18 February 2019 , , - , 52 , , align=center, , , 18 February 2019, , 26 May 2019 , , - , 53 , , align=center, , , 1 June 2019, , 21 December 2019 , , - , 54 , , align=center, * , , 21 December 2019, , 5 January 2020 , , - , 55 , , align=center, , , 5 January 2020, , 11 May 2021 , , - , 56 , , align=center, , , 6 June 2021, , 27 May 2023 , 1 Championship,
1 League Cup , - , 57 , , align=center, , , 27 May 2023, , 8 November 2023 , , - , 58 , , align=center, , , 14 November 2023, , ''6 November 2024'' , 1 Champions League


Record


Recent seasons

{, class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="text-align:center; font-size:80%; width:80%" ! style="background:#7300E6;border:1px solid #D8B31B;color:#ffffff;" colspan=25 , Al Ain's season-by-season , - !Season!!Div.!!Pos.!!Pl.!!W!!D!!L!!GS!!GA!!GD!!P!!
President's Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world except Europe as that continent competes against the United States in a similar but ...
!! Federation Cup / League Cup!!
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Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
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AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...
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José Sand José Gustavo Sand (born 17 July 1980), nicknamed Pepe, is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. He made two appearances for the Argentina national team. Club career Early career Born in Bella Vista, Corrient ...

Omar Abdulrahman Omar Abdulrahman Ahmed Al Raaki Al Amoudi (; born 20 September 1991) is an Emirati professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for the United Arab Emirates national team. Coming through the youth system, Abdulrahm ...
, , 11 , style="text-align:left", Abdulhameed Al Mistaki*
Ahmed Abdullah*
Alexandre Gallo Alexandre Tadeu Gallo (born 29 May 1967) is a Brazilian football coach and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. Playing career Born in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Gallo joined the youth categories of hometown side Botafogo-SP in ...
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Asamoah Gyan Asamoah Gyan ( ; born 22 November 1985) is a Ghanaian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. He is a former Captain (association football), captain of the Ghana national foo ...
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Cosmin Olăroiu Cosmin Aurelian Olăroiu (born 10 June 1969) is a Romanian football manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of United Arab Emirates national team. As a manager, he guided Steaua București to the Divizia A title and Romani ...
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Asamoah Gyan Asamoah Gyan ( ; born 22 November 1985) is a Ghanaian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. He is a former Captain (association football), captain of the Ghana national foo ...
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Jorge Fossati Jorge Daniel Fossati Lurachi (born 22 November 1952 in Montevideo) is a Uruguayan football (soccer), football manager and former player who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. He is the current manager of Peruvian club Cl ...

Ahmed Abdullah*
Quique Flores
Zlatko Dalić Zlatko Dalić (; born 26 October 1966) is a Croatian people, Croatian professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former Football player, player. He has been the manager of the Croatia national football ...
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Caio Lucas Caio Lucas Fernandes (born 19 April 1994), known as Caio Lucas or just Caio , is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for UAE Pro League club Sharjah. Born in Brazil, he represents the United Arab Emirates at international level. Cl ...
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Zlatko Dalić Zlatko Dalić (; born 26 October 1966) is a Croatian people, Croatian professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former Football player, player. He has been the manager of the Croatia national football ...

Joško Španjić Josip "Joško" Španjić'(born 2 March 1966) is a Croatian Association football, football manager and former player. Playing career Španjić made his debut for Hajduk Split in 1984 and was a regular player under coach Stanko Poklepović. He g ...
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Zoran Mamić Zoran Mamić (; born 30 September 1971) is a Croatian former professional football manager and player. He is most known for his successful time as a player and later manager of Dinamo Zagreb. Mamić represented the Croatia national team 6 tim ...
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Željko Sopić*
Juan Garrido Juan Garrido (c. 1480 – c. 1550) was an Afro-Spaniard of Kongo origin ''conquistador'' known as the first documented Bantu person in what would become the United States. Born in the Kingdom of Kongo in West Central Africa, he went to Portugal ...
, -bgcolor="lightpink" , 2019–20 , 1, , 2nd, , 19, , 11, , 4, , 4, , 46, , 21, , +25, , 37 , ''Finalists'' , SF , — , rowspan="5" bgcolor=#F8F9FA, — , bgcolor=#F8F9FA,
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Ghazi Fahad*
Pedro Emanuel Pedro Emanuel dos Santos Martins Silva (born 11 February 1975), known as Pedro Emanuel, is a Portuguese retired Association football, footballer who played mainly as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, central defender, currently Manag ...
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Serhiy Rebrov Serhiy Stanislavovych Rebrov (; born 3 June 1974) is a Ukrainian professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a striker (association football), striker. He is currently the manage ...
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Serhiy Rebrov Serhiy Stanislavovych Rebrov (; born 3 June 1974) is a Ukrainian professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a striker (association football), striker. He is currently the manage ...
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Soufiane Rahimi Soufiane Rahimi (; born 2 June 1996) is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a forward for UAE Pro League club Al Ain and the Morocco national team. Rahimi started his professional career playing for Raja CA, before being sent on a ...
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Alfred Schreuder Alfred Schreuder (; born 2 November 1972) is a Dutch football coach and former player who was recently the head coach of UAE Pro League club Al Nasr SC. Club career During his career, Schreuder played for RKC Waalwijk, NAC Breda, Feyenoord, Tw ...

Hernán Crespo Hernán Jorge Crespo (; born 5 July 1975) is an Argentine professional football coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach of UAE Pro League club Al Ain. A prolific striker, Crespo scored over 300 goals in a career spanning ...
{, class="wikitable" , - , bgcolor=gold, Champions , style="background:silver", Runners-up , style="background:#cc9966", 3rd place , style="background:LemonChiffon", Advanced to next round but the cup continued in next season Notes


Most appearances

:''As of match played 25 May 2024'' ''The below list is since the professional era starting in 2008–09.''
''Bold indicates player is still active at club level.'' {, class="wikitable sortable" , - !scope=col style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Rank !scope=col style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Player !scope=col style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Years !scope=col style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Total , - , 1 , , 2013– , 389 , - , rowspan="2", 2 ,
Mohanad Salem Mohanad Salem Ghazi Marzouq Al-Amin Al-Enazi (; born 1 March 1985) is an Emirati professional footballer who plays as a defender former the United Arab Emirates national team. At club level, he has played in the 2010 AFC Champions League. Sale ...
, 2008–2021 , 331 , - , Mohammed Abdulrahman , 2008–2021 , 331 , - , 4 , Ismail Ahmed , 2008–2021 , 328 , - , 5 ,
Bandar Al-Ahbabi Bandar Mohammed Mohammed Saeed Al-Ahbabi (Arabic:بندر محمد محمد سعيد الأحبابي) (born 9 July 1990) is an Emirati professional association footballer who plays for Al Ain. Academic career Bandar began playing football when ...
, 2010– , 241 , - , 6 , , 2008–2018 , 231 , - , 7 , Mohamed Ahmed , 2012–2023 , 212


Top goalscorers

''Updated 21 January 2025.''
''Note: this includes goals scored in all competitions.'' {, class="wikitable sortable" , - !scope=col style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Rank !scope=col style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Player !scope=col style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Years !scope=col style="color:#FFFFFF; background: #7300E6; border:2px solid #D8B31B;", Goals(League goals only) , - , 1 ,
Ahmed Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah (born Leroy Bland; May 10, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter who was a prominent member of Sun Ra's band. Biography He began playing the trumpet at age 13 in his native New York City. One of the first groups he performed with wa ...
, 1978–1995 , 185(122) , - , 2 , Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba , 2019–''present'' , 140(113) , - , 3 ,
Asamoah Gyan Asamoah Gyan ( ; born 22 November 1985) is a Ghanaian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. He is a former Captain (association football), captain of the Ghana national foo ...
, 2011–2015 , 128(95) , - , 4 , Matar Al Sahbani , 1983-?? , 93(37) , - , 5 , Majid Al Owais , 1992–2001 , At least 90(86) , - , 6 , Mohieddine Habita , 1976–1983 , 71(57) , - , 7 ,
Omar Abdulrahman Omar Abdulrahman Ahmed Al Raaki Al Amoudi (; born 20 September 1991) is an Emirati professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for the United Arab Emirates national team. Coming through the youth system, Abdulrahm ...
, 2008–2018 , 62(39) , - , 8 , Salem Johar , 1992–2005 , 60(53) , - , 9 ,
Soufiane Rahimi Soufiane Rahimi (; born 2 June 1996) is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a forward for UAE Pro League club Al Ain and the Morocco national team. Rahimi started his professional career playing for Raja CA, before being sent on a ...
, 2019– , 60(33) , - , 10 , Saif Sultan , 1992–2005 , 55(45)


Top scorers in Asian competitions

''Since
2002–03 AFC Champions League The 2002–03 AFC Champions League was the twenty-second edition of Asia's premier football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and the first edition under the AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League Elite (abb ...
, includes goals scored in qualifying play-off''
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Soufiane Rahimi Soufiane Rahimi (; born 2 June 1996) is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a forward for UAE Pro League club Al Ain and the Morocco national team. Rahimi started his professional career playing for Raja CA, before being sent on a ...
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Ibrahim Diaky Ibrahim Amuah Diaky (born May 24, 1982) is an Emirati football player who plays as a midfielder for Al Ain FC since 2013 and the 2023 and the United Arab Emirates national team. Personal life Diaky was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast Ivory ...
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Nenad Jestrović Nenad Jestrović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ненад Јестровић; born 9 May 1976) is a Serbian retired footballer who played as a forward. Club career Jestrović started his playing career with Radnički Obrenovac in the early 1990s. He then ...
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Caio Lucas Caio Lucas Fernandes (born 19 April 1994), known as Caio Lucas or just Caio , is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for UAE Pro League club Sharjah. Born in Brazil, he represents the United Arab Emirates at international level. Cl ...
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Asian


Overview

{, class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;" , - !Competition!!Played!!Won!!Drew!!Lost!!GF!!GA!!GD!!Win% , - , align=left, , - , align=left, , - class="sortbottom" ! * GF = Goals For. GA = Goals Against. GD = Goal Difference.


Participations

{, width=80% class="wikitable" style="text-align:" , - ! width=20%, Competition ! width=5%,
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
! width=5%,
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
! width=5%,
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
! width=5%,
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
! width=5%,
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
! width=5%,
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
! width=5%,
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
! width=5%,
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
! width=5%,
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
! width=5%,
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
! width=5%,
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
! width=5%,
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
! width=5%,
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
! width=5%,
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
! width=5%,
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
! width=5%,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
! width=5%,
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
! width=5%,
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
! width=5%,
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
! width=5%,
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
! width=5%,
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
! width=5%,
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, - align=center ,
Asian Cup Winners' Cup The Asian Cup Winners' Cup was an Asian football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-Asian club competition organised by Asian Football Confedera ...
, , 2R , , , , 1R , , , , QF , - align=center , Club Championship / Champions League , , , , bgcolor=cc9966, 3rd , , , , 2R , , , , bgcolor=gold, C , , QF , , bgcolor=silver, RU , , QF , , GS , , GS , , GS , , GS , , SF , , R16 , , bgcolor=silver, RU , , QF , , R16 , , GS , , GS , , QS , , bgcolor=gold, C * ''QS'' : ''Qualifying Stage'', ''1R/2R'' : ''First/Second round'', ''GS'' : ''Group Stage'', ''R16'' : ''Round of 16'', ''QF'' : ''Quarterfinals'', ''SF'' : ''Semifinal'', ''RU'' : ''Runner-up'', ''C'' : ''Champions''


See also

*
List of football clubs in the United Arab Emirates This is a list of football clubs in the United Arab Emirates. Currently there are officially 49 football clubs in the United Arab Emirates. Fourteen of them compete in the top tier division, 15 of them compete in the 2nd tier division, 12 of them c ...
* List of world champion football clubs and vice-world champions in football


References


External links

*
Al Ain FC
on Arabian Gulf League official website
Al Ain FC
on AFC official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Al Ain Association football clubs established in 1968 1968 establishments in the Trucial States Football clubs in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
Ain Ain (, ; ) is a French department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where it ...
Multi-sport clubs in the United Arab Emirates AFC Champions League Elite winning clubs