Top football stadiums in Dubai
- Zabeel Stadium
- Al-Rashid Stadium
- Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium
- Al-Maktoum Stadium
- Dubai Police Officer’s Club Stadium
- Humaid Al Tayer Stadium
Football is one of the most popular sports in Dubai, with a legion of fans who religiously follow their favourite teams in EPL, La Liga, Serie A and the local UAE league. UAE nationals, in particular, take immense pride in the performance of their national football team and follow the home competition, UAE Pro league keenly. Hence, it comes as no surprise that there are state-of-the-art football stadiums in Dubai.
Football Stadiums in Dubai
Football clubs in Dubai use these stadiums as home grounds to train their team and also play matches with the other local clubs in the city. Often, they use the facilities to groom the next generation of footballers in Dubai with professional academies and sports camps. Hence, football stadiums in Dubai play a key role in the development of football as a sport in the city. Here is a list of the top football stadiums in Dubai, where decorated football stars of the UAE perform in front of adoring fans.
Zabeel Stadium
Zabeel Stadium is one of the best football stadiums in Dubai. Until the merger of the Al Wasl Football Club, it served as its home ground and has witnessed many fans cheering their favourite club to spectacular wins. It has a capacity of around 9,500 and was built in 1974. Football League matches are held regularly at this venue. There is also a football academy nearby as well, where young footballers can learn more about the beautiful game.
- Location: Oud Metha Road, Za’abeel 1, Dubai
- Contact: +971-4-324-3333
Al-Rashid Stadium
This is a multi-purpose stadium, which is often used for football and rugby matches. It opened its gates for the first time in 1948 and has a capacity t serve 18,000 viewers. Rashid Stadium has hosted several international matches including the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, U-17 World Cup and the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.
The stadium is home to one of the most successful UAE based clubs – Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai FC. Overall, the club has won 25 titles and has a loyal fan base that extends well beyond the UAE.
- Location: Al Ittihad Road, Dubai
- Contact: +971-4-298-8988
Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium
This soccer stadium in Dubai is part of the multi-purpose Al Shabab Sports Club. There are three training pitches, courts for basketball and tennis, and an indoor sports hall. The structure of the stadium is identical to Al Rashid Stadium. Until, 2017, it was the home ground for the football club Al-Shabab. After the club merged with Al-Ahli, it now serves as the secondary stadium. 12,000 fans can attend matches at this stadium.
Apart from national club matches, the venue has hosted several international matches including youth tournaments.
- Location: Al Rasheed Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Al-Maktoum Stadium
This stadium was built in 1978 and once, was surrounded by a running track. Such stadiums in recent years have gone out of fashion due to the distance between the field and the stadiums. Hence, the stadium was redeveloped after it won the rights to host the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The upgraded stadium has a rectangular shape and the seating capacity was also increased from 12,000 to 15,000.
The stadium is home to the Al Nasr Football Club, one of the best football stadiums in Dubai.
- Location: Oud Metha, Dubai
- Contact: +971-4-337-5500
Dubai Police Officer’s Club Stadium
The Dubai Police Officer’s Club Stadium is comparatively smaller with a capacity of around 7,500 fans. It was inaugurated in 1996.
- Location: Ibn al Zahrawi Street, Al Jaddaf, Dubai.
Humaid Al Tayer Stadium
Humaid Al Tayer Stadium was recently renovated as part of a larger drive to improve sports infrastructure in the city. This 1,400 seater stadium is Football Club Al Nasr’s training ground. With six changing rooms, two coaching rooms, a clinic, a room to test for doping and a referee’s room, it is equipped to be the training base of any top football team.
- Location: 12A Street, Oud Metha, Dubai
This wraps up our list of the top football stadiums in Dubai. As the popularity of the UAE league grows, the facilities at the stadiums and the number of stadiums will also increase.
For amateur players, there is also the option to rent football pitches in Dubai and play friendly matches.
Aspiring young footballers can join football academies in Dubai to polish their skills. With lots of hard work and a little bit of luck, they might end up playing for one of the big clubs in the UAE or even a foreign league.
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