Who are Al Ain?

The 2025 Club World Cup is just around the corner and we have taken a look at one of the teams set to compete in the tournament, Al Ain.

Where are Al Ain from?

Al Ain FC are based in the city of Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

Al Ain History

In the early 1960s, a group of Bahraini exchange students and members of the Sudanese and Saudi community working in Al Ain learned the rules of football by watching British soldiers playing.

They formed their own team and in 1968 Al Ain FC was officially established. Their first fixture was a game against a team made up of British soldiers.

In the early 1970s, the club split into two factions but were then reunited to form Al Ain Sports Club and in 1974 the club won a first title, the Abu Dhabi League.

Al Ain are now record Pro League winners with 14 titles and two-time winners of the AFC Champions League Elite, the only team from the UAE to win that continental trophy.

Al Ain Nickname

Al Ain’s nickname is Al Zaeem, which translates to ‘The Boss’.

Al Ain Notable Players

The biggest name in the current Al Ain squad is goalkeeper Rui Patrício, a European Championship winner with Porto. The 37-year-old joined the UAE club on a short-term deal for the Club World Cup and has previously played for Sporting, Wolves and Roma.

Patricio’s arrival brings experience and he will compete with Khalid Essa, who captains the UAE national team, for a starting spot.

Soufiane Rahimi, who helped Morocco claim bronze at the Paris Olympics, is the star forward and he helped fire the team to their AFC Champions League triumph with 13 goals in as many games.

Paraguay international Kaku is the main playmaker within the squad. The 30-year-old has previously played for Huracan in Argentina and MLS outfit New York Red Bulls, and he weighed in with three goals and one assist in eight games in Al Ain’s AFC Champions League-winning campaign.

Al Ain Current Players

UAE international Bandar Al-Ahbabi is the Al Ain captain and he has made over 200 appearances for the club across two spells.

The squad is largely made up of players from the UAE and Africa but there are a few South American players on the books of Al Ain, including Argentine pair Matias Palacios and Mateo Sanabria, as well as Brazilian youngster Erik.

South Korea international Park Yong-woo is also in the Al Ain squad, and veteran defender Fabio Cardoso is on loan at the club from Portugal’s Porto.

Al Ain Former Players

Ghana legend Abedi Pele, the father of Andre and Jordan Ayew, spent time with Al Ain towards the end of his career.

Another Ghanaian star, Asamoah Gyan, enjoyed a stint with the club - scoring 73 goals in just 65 league games between 2012 and 2015.

Former Ivory Coast international Boubacar Sanogo was with Al Ain earlier in his career, while former Nigeria forward Emmanuel Emenike had a brief loan stint with the club.

Ryan Babel and Marcus Berg are among the notable Europeans who have spent time at Al Ain, while Michel Bastos, who made 10 appearances for Brazil, and Jose Sand, who was capped twice by Argentina, have represented the UAE outfit.

How did Al Ain qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup?

Al Ain qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup by winning the 2023/24 AFC Champions League, their second title in the competition.

They finished top of their qualifying group before knocking out Saudi pair Al Nassr and Al Hilal. Al Ain overcame Japan’s Yokohama F Marinos 6-3 on aggregate in the final.

Al Ain Club World Cup Group G

• Manchester City

• Juventus

• Wydad AC