United Arab Emirates

Emiratos Arabes Unidos
United Arab Emirates

National Team Information

General Info

Al Abyad (The White One), Eyal Zayed (Sons of Zayed)

World Cup Participation

1990

Championships

None

UAE National Football Team History

A relatively young national team, UAE played their first match in 1972 against Qatar and won 1-0. They first qualified for the AFC Asian Cup in 1980 but failed to make it past the Group Stage. UAE also qualified in 1984 and 1988 but finished the 80s without a knockout stage appearance.

Under Mario Zagallo, the team managed to clinch the first UAE FIFA World Cup appearance in 1990. Unfortunately, UAE lost all three of their matches at the FIFA World Cup and conceded 11 goals in the process.

The team found more success in the next editions of the AFC Asian Cup. In 1992, UAE finished fourth, and, as hosts, in 1996, they were runners-up in the competition. They were defeated by Saudi Arabia 4-2 on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes. Because Saudi Arabia were hosts of the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, United Arab emirates team qualified as AFC runners-up.

UAE lost to both Uruguay and Czech Republic at the tournament but managed a 1-0 win against South Africa. This meant they were eliminated, as they finished third in the FIFA World Cup group.

After a run of five consecutive appearances in the AFC Asian Cup, UAE failed to qualify in 2000. The early 2000s were a difficult period for UAE because they also finished in last place at the 2002 Gulf Cup. Their fortunes changed in 2007 when they won the Gulf Cup, defeating Oman 1-0 in the final.

Under Mahdi Ali, UAE won their second Gulf Cup title in 2013 and were semifinalists at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Ali Mabkhout finished as the tournament’s top scorer, with five goals. Defying the odds, UAE defeated Australia for the first time ever in the 2019 Asian Cup quarterfinals. However, they were eliminated by Qatar in the quarters.

In 2022, UAE made the playoff round of AFC World Cup qualifying, where they faced off against Australia. UAE fought back from a one-goal deficit but Ajdin Hrustic’s goal sent Australia through to the intercontinental playoff.

Check out the latest FIFA World Cup news and betting analysis.

United Arab Emirates team
UAE Soccer

UAE Soccer Leagues & Clubs:

Foreigners looking to break into UAE soccer betting could begin with the UAE Pro League. It is considered one of the top-ten leagues in Asia and consists of 14 clubs. The league format is a simple double round-robin for a total of 26 games each. The first-placed team at the end of the season is crowned champion and qualifies for the AFC Champions League. Meanwhile, the bottom two teams go down to the second-tier.

UAE Pro League Clubs 2022-23
Team
Ajman
Al Ain
Al Bataeh
Al Dhafra
Al Jazira
Al Nasr
Al Wahda
Al Wasl
Baniyas
Dibba Al Fujairah
Kalba
Khor Fakkan
Shabab Al Ahli
harjah

Another professional UAE soccer league is the UAE First Division League. Despite what its name implies, it is the second-tier league in the country. The league recently expanded from 15 teams to 17 and also follows a double round-robin format. The top two teams are automatically promoted to the UAE Pro League and the bottom two teams go down to the third tier.

UAE First Division League Clubs 2022-2023
Team
Al Arabi
Al Dhaid
Al Fursan
Al Hamriyah
Al Jazirah Al Hamra
Al Khaleej
Al Rams
Al Taawon
Al Urooba
Baynounah
Dibba Al Hisn
Dubai City
Emirates
Hatta
Fujairah
Masafi
Masfout

UAE Cups & Tournaments

UAE Soccer Betting Information

Betting on the UAE

While gambling is illegal in the UAE itself, foreign bettors may be interested in UAE soccer betting. The most popular league in the UAE for betting is the UAE Pro League. While certainly not one of the top leagues around, there have been some big-name foreign players who have played in the league. That includes Asamoah Gyan, Grafite, Miralem Pjanic, Paco Alcacer, Andriy Yarmolenko and Kostas Manolas.

The UAE Pro League is typically one of the highest-scoring Asian leagues, which may appeal to bettors. In the 2021-22 season, 2.85 goals per game were scored and both teams scored in 55 percent of matches. For just a 26-game season, there was a huge 55-point gap between champions Al-Ain and last-placed Emirates. There is typically a big gap in quality between the top teams and the relegation candidates. In 2021-22, home teams won nearly half of their matches. They won 46 percent of the time, while away teams won 31 percent of their matches and draws occurred in 23 percent of fixtures. 

UAE National Team Betting Tips & Odds

The United Arab Emirates national team has never won a major trophy. Betting tips don’t often recommend taking them to reach the World Cup either. They’ve only participated in one previous World Cup, back in 1990.

UAE came within two wins of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup as they lost to AFC foes Australia in the third-place playoff. All-time leading scorer Ali Mabkhout was a standout in the 2022 World Cup Qualifying campaign. He scored 14 goals in 15 matches. Mabkhout is now 32 and the UAE will certainly have trouble replacing him when he decides to hang up his boots. As of January 2023, Mabkhout has scored 80 goals for the national team and no other active player has more than 11. 

Despite a lack of trophies, there have certainly been signs of improvement for the UAE. They have qualified for the semifinals of the last two editions of the AFC Asian Cup. Heading into 2023’s AFC Asian Cup, they’ll be hoping for another strong performance. It’ll be an uphill climb to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, though, with a bunch of strong teams in the Asian Confederation. 

Summary

With a simple format and just 14 teams, foreign bettors may find that the UAE Pro League is a solid option for soccer betting. With three domestic cup competitions, there are plenty of opportunities for betting on UAE soccer.

The UAE National team hasn’t qualified for the World Cup in over 30 years and has never gained a point at the World Cup. Still, they could be an option for soccer betting, especially given some strong recent performances in the AFC Asian Cup.

United Arab Emirates Football Team FAQS

Is sports betting legal in the United Arab Emirates?

Gambling is illegal in the United Arab Emirates.

Who was the top scorer in the 2021-22 UAE Pro League?

Al Ain’s Kodjo Laba was by far the UAE Pro League’s top scorer in 2021-22, with 26 goals.

Who is the top scorer all-time in the UAE Pro League?

With 196 goals and counting, Ali Mabkhout is the UAE Pro League’s all-time top scorer.

Which Emirati team has won the most championships?

Al Ain are the most successful team in UAE Pro League history, with 14 titles.

What is football called in the United Arab Emirates?

Like in other Arabic-speaking countries, football is called kurat alqadam in the United Arab Emirates.
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