Al Ain is one of the defining football institutions of the United Arab Emirates, rooted in the oasis city of the same name and known widely as Al Zaeem, The Boss. Founded in 1968, the club carries a distinctive purple identity and a strong continental reputation. Its modern home, Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, gives the team a prominent stage in Abu Dhabi emirate, while the Al Ain Sports and Cultural Club provides the wider sporting setting for its football tradition.
Al Ain Upcoming matches by league
AFC Champions League
-
- League Phase - 1
Al Ain
Al-Nassr
-
- Group Stage
Al Quwa Al JawiyaNo H2HAl Ain
-
- Group Stage
Al AinNo H2HTractor Sazi
-
- Group Stage
Al-Ittihad FCNo H2HAl Ain
League Cup
-
- Group Stage - 1
Al-Wasl FC
Al Ain
Zabeel Stadium -
- Group Stage - 2
Al AinNo H2HAjman
-
- Group Stage - 3
Al AinNo H2HAl-Ittihad Kalba
Al Ain Last matches by league
AFC Champions League
League Cup
Pro League
Friendlies Clubs
Presidents Cup
AGCFF Gulf Champions League
FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Intercontinental Cup
Al Ain Team Roster
Al Ain’s recorded squad contains 37 players: 10 attackers, 16 defenders, eight midfielders and three goalkeepers. The goalkeeping group includes Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Bu Sanda and S. Hassan. Defensive options include Rami Rabia, Rafael Rodrigues, M. Ratnik and A. Jašić, while midfield features A. Romero, V. Lazaro and M. Al Baloushi. The attacking list includes G. Giakoumakis, H. Rahimi and Jonatas Santos, alongside B. Ilou, C. Djassi and Sorin Ziane. Shirt numbers in the list run from 1 to 97, offering a quick guide to the squad’s range of registered options.
position Goalkeeper
Mohammed Saeed Bu Sanda Ahmed Theyab Al Falahi
Khalid Eisa Mohammed Bilal Sae Al Mesmari
Hassan Sani Muhammed
position Defender
Rafael Vela Rodrigues
Marcos Maia
Yahya Ben Khaleq
Đorđe Skoko
Marcel Ratnik
Erik Jorgens de Menezes
Valentino Lando Lazaro
Rami Hisham Abdel Aziz Rabia
Marco Antônio Pereira do Nascimento da Silva
I. Okpoti
Amadu Saidou Niang
Mame Niang
Hamid Mohammed
position Midfielder
M. Al Baloushi
Alejandro Sebastián Romero Gamarra
Matías Damián Palacios
Hazem Mohammad Abdullah Abbas
I. Ndiaye
Abdoul Karim Traoré
Adis Jašić
position Attacker
Georgios Giakoumakis
Jonatas da Anunciação Santos
El Houssine Rahimi
Baba Bello Ilou
Soufiane Rahimi
Gustavo Matheus Silveira Ulguim
Sorin Ziane
Last Al Ain Coachs
Vladimir Ivić, the Serbian coach, has led Al Ain since 1 February 2025 and is the current head coach. His appointment followed Leonardo Jardim’s spell from November 2024 to February 2025. Earlier, Hernán Crespo managed the club from November 2023 to November 2024, after Alfred Schreuder’s July to November 2023 tenure. Serhii Rebrov preceded them, taking charge from June 2021 until May 2023. The sequence records several changes in the dugout across the recent period.
Vladimir Ivić
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Ivić | Serbia | 1 February 2025 | |
| José Leonardo Nunes Alves Sousa Jardim | Venezuela | 1 November 2024 | 1 February 2025 |
| Hernán Jorge Crespo | Argentina | 1 November 2023 | 1 November 2024 |
| Alfred Schreuder | Netherlands | 1 July 2023 | 1 November 2023 |
| Serhii Rebrov | Ukraine | 1 June 2021 | 1 May 2023 |
| Pedro Emanuel dos Santos Martins Silva | Angola | 1 January 2020 | 1 June 2021 |
| Ivan Leko | Croatia | 1 July 2019 | 1 January 2020 |
| Juan Carlos Garrido Fernández | Spain | 1 February 2019 | 1 June 2019 |
| Željko Sopić | Croatia | 1 January 2019 | 1 June 2019 |
| Zoran Mamić | Croatia | 1 January 2017 | 1 January 2019 |
| Zlatko Dalić | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 March 2014 | 1 January 2017 |
| Enrique Sánchez Flores | Spain | 1 September 2013 | 1 March 2014 |
| Jorge Daniel Fossati Lurachi | Uruguay | 1 July 2013 | 1 September 2013 |
| Mirel Matei Rădoi | Romania | 1 September 2011 | 1 November 2013 |
| Aurelian Cosmin Olăroiu | Romania | 1 July 2011 | 1 July 2013 |
| Alexandre Tadeu Gallo | Brazil | 1 December 2010 | 1 June 2011 |
| Anghel Iordănescu | Romania | 1 July 2006 | 1 December 2006 |
| Anghel Iordănescu | Romania | 1 July 2001 | 1 February 2002 |
Al Ain Transfers
The latest recorded arrivals include Dodô from Bahia on a transfer, Gustavo Ulguim from Internacional as a free agent, V. Lazaro from Torino as a free agent, B. Ilou from Renaissance Berkane on a transfer and G. Giakoumakis from Cruz Azul on a transfer. Marcos Maia arrived from Atletico Paranaense as a free agent, while Jonatas Santos returned from loan at Al Nasr. Other listed movements include returns from loan and earlier arrivals such as Michael den Heijer and A. Șut. This selection covers recent entries rather than a complete arrivals total.
Latest player transfers from
| Player | Team from | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodô |
Bahia
|
Transfer | 11 August 2026 |
| Gustavo Ulguim |
Internacional
|
Free agent | 10 August 2026 |
| Dodô |
Bahia
|
Transfer | 10 August 2026 |
| Gustavo Ulguim |
Internacional
|
Free agent | 9 August 2026 |
Cruzeiro U20
|
Transfer | 31 July 2026 | |
| B. Ilou |
Renaissance Berkane
|
Transfer | 12 July 2026 |
| V. Lazaro |
Torino
|
Free agent | 12 July 2026 |
| G. Giakoumakis |
Cruz Azul
|
Transfer | 8 July 2026 |
Flamengo
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 | |
| Marcos Maia |
Atletico Paranaense
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| Rafael Rodrigues |
Benfica
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| M. den Heijer |
Auckland
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| Marcos Maia |
Atletico Paranaense
|
Free agent | 29 June 2026 |
| S. Sosu |
Baniyas SC
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| N. Chadli |
Baniyas SC
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
Recent recorded departures include H. Linus joining União de Leiria on loan and A. Șut moving to Levadiakos on loan. N. Chadli also left on loan for Al Nasr, while Khaled Ali was recorded as a free-agent departure to Hatta SC and E. El Moubarik moved to Levski Sofia on a transfer. Further loans sent S. Gassama to Ajman, Mohamed Awad Alla to Baniyas SC, R. Sarki to Khorfakkan and Bastian Kaua to Hatta SC. Rafael Rodrigues returned to Benfica after his loan. These are selected recent entries, not a complete departures total.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
Hatta SC
|
Transfer | 11 August 2026 | |
| J. Loulendo |
CS Sfaxien
|
Loan | 10 August 2026 |
|
Hatta SC
|
Transfer | 10 August 2026 | |
| H. Linus |
União de Leiria
|
Loan | 31 July 2026 |
| A. Șut |
Levadiakos
|
Loan | 25 July 2026 |
| N. Chadli |
Al Nasr
|
Loan | 12 July 2026 |
| Jonas Naafo |
Dubai United
|
- | 30 June 2026 |
Lecce
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 | |
| J. Naafo |
Dubai United
|
- | 30 June 2026 |
| Bandar Al Ahbabi |
Dubai United
|
- | 30 June 2026 |
| Khaled Ali |
Hatta SC
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| D. Koumare |
Al-Dhafra
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 |
| K. Kouadio |
Dubai United
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 |
| Bastian Kaua |
Hatta SC
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 |
| R. Sarki |
Khorfakkan
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 |
Transfers Synthesis
Al Ain’s recent movement profile, viewed through entries dated from September 2025 to August 2026, combines transfer arrivals, free-agent additions and several returns from loan. The incoming list includes players arriving from Brazilian, European, African and regional clubs, while the outgoing list features loans, a return to Benfica after a temporary spell, free-agent movement and a transfer to Levski Sofia. The same player can appear more than once in the movement history when a loan return is followed by another change, as shown by N. Chadli, S. Sosu and Michael den Heijer. The listed arrivals and departures are recent selections, so they indicate the types and timing of activity rather than a complete transfer balance. The pattern therefore describes varied squad movement across transfer, temporary and return transactions.
Leagues Al Ain has participated in
Al Ain’s recent competition portfolio includes the UAE Pro League, League Cup, Presidents Cup, Friendlies Clubs, FIFA Club World Cup and AGCFF Gulf Champions League. These entries extend through 2025 and therefore represent the latest recorded activity in the competition list. AFC Champions League and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup are historical through 2024, while Super Cup is historical through 2022. The participation record spans domestic league and cup football, continental competition, global tournaments and friendly fixtures. It does not establish a 2026 fixture schedule or current standing.
More about Al Ain
Al Ain Football Club is based in Al Ain, in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1968, it forms the football arm of the Al Ain Sports and Cultural Club, a wider sports and cultural organisation. The club is widely known as Al Zaeem, or The Boss, a nickname associated with its enduring prominence in Emirati football.
Its origins reflect the character of the oasis city. Local sportsmen established the early side alongside Bahraini exchange students and Sudanese expatriates working in Al Ain, creating a multicultural foundation for the institution. The club’s strongest visual marker is its purple shirt, a colour adopted as a defining tradition in the late 1970s and associated with the influence of Belgian club RSC Anderlecht. White and blue have also featured in its colour history. The crest’s image of Al Jahili Fort connects the team with a landmark of local heritage and gives its identity an additional sense of place.
Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium is Al Ain’s principal home. The modern stadium, with a capacity of approximately 25,000, is an architectural landmark in the city. Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium and Tahnoun Bin Mohammed Stadium remain important historical venues in the club’s story, showing the continuity between its established past and modern presentation.
Al Ain’s domestic identity is built around the UAE Pro League, the country’s top domestic tier, and its reputation extends beyond the Emirates. It became the first club from the UAE to win the AFC Champions League, a landmark achievement in Asian football and a central part of its history. The club’s ecosystem combines a locally rooted identity with international players and high-profile coaches. Its governance remains closely tied to the Al Ain Sports and Cultural Club and to the leadership of Abu Dhabi, giving the football side a prominent place in the emirate’s wider sporting landscape.
Last matches statistics for Al Ain
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Al Ain
5 - 0
Al-Dhafra
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Al Ain
4 - 0
Dibba Al-Fujairah
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Al-Jazira
1 - 4
Al Ain
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Elche
2 - 2
Al Ain
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Osasuna
0 - 2
Al Ain
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Baniyas SC
2 - 4
Al Ain
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Al Ain
2 - 0
Khorfakkan
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Al Ain
2 - 1
Al Nasr
|
7 / 23 |
|
0% | 7 | 1 | 0 |
|
Al-Ittihad Kalba
0 - 2
Al Ain
|
7 / 17 |
|
0% | 10 | - | 8 |
|
Al Ain
2 - 2
Al-Wasl FC
|
8 / 21 |
|
0% | 10 | 2 | 0 |
Detailed statistics Al Ain
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
shots Al Ain
Warnings Al Ain
Passes Al Ain
Goalkeeper saves Al Ain
Latest start lineups Al Ain (XI)
Al Ain vs Al-Wasl FC
Pro League 2026 - 1634288
Al-Ittihad Kalba vs Al Ain
Pro League 2026 - 1599445
Al-Jazira vs Al Ain
Pro League 2025 - 1505591
Al-Ittihad Kalba vs Al Ain
Pro League 2025 - 1501822
Al Ain vs Al Wahda FC
Pro League 2025 - 1485364
Al-Dhafra vs Al Ain
Pro League 2025 - 1485361
2023-2024
1st shirt
2023-2024
2nd shirt
2023-2024
3rd shirt
2022-2023
1st shirt
2022-2023
2nd shirt
2022-2023
3rd shirt
2021-2022
1st shirt
2021-2022
2nd shirt
2021-2022
3rd shirt
2020-2021
1st shirt
2020-2021
2nd shirt
2020-2021
3rd shirt
2019-2020
1st shirt
2019-2020
2nd shirt
2019-2020
3rd shirt