Dubai Open Football Academies Championship concludes with record 14,000 participants

The summer edition of the Dubai Open Football Academies Championship has successfully concluded, cementing Dubai’s position as a premier global destination for sports talent development and a hub for the future of the sport.

Organised by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) in collaboration with the UAE Football Association and operated in partnership with Delta Sport, this year’s edition recorded unprecedented numbers. A record-breaking 576 teams, representing various local and international sports clubs and academies, took part in the event.

With over 14,000 players from more than 90 nationalities, the championship has firmly established itself as one of the largest age-group tournaments in the region.

The competition featured more than 2,900 matches across categories ranging from Under-6 to Under-23. This extensive schedule fostered a highly-competitive environment, granting players vital opportunities to gain on-pitch experience and elevate their technical skills.

Throughout the tournament, dedicated technical evaluation committees closely monitored the matches, successfully scouting 187 promising and talented players. This strategic move aims to integrate these young athletes into comprehensive future sponsorship and development programmes, offering them the high-level exposure required to reach elite competitive standards.

The massive success of the championship and the discovery of this elite group of talents practically translate the core objectives of the ‘Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033’.

Talent development remains a central pillar of this strategy, with the DSC establishing an integrated ecosystem designed to create future champions. This is being achieved by expanding the channels for discovering sports talents and actively supporting the pathways of athletes to help them reach the highest levels of performance.

The tournament showcased fierce competition, concluding with top-tier titles awarded to standout teams across the divisions. In the First Division, Manchester City claimed the U-8 title, while Al Wasl Club secured the U-9 championship. SOFA Academy won the U-10 category, Egypt’s Al Ahly took the U-11 title, and Paris Saint-Germain emerged victorious in the U-12 division.

In the older age brackets, Barca Academy Dubai dominated the field, sweeping the U-13, U-14, U-16, U-17 and U-19 titles. The Desert Falcons claimed the U-15 championship, while City FC took home the U-23 title, reflecting the intense competition and the high caliber of the participating clubs and academies.

The championship concluded with a grand closing ceremony, where the winning teams were crowned and outstanding players and coaches were honoured.

The celebratory atmosphere underscored the organisational and technical success of the event, reinforcing the tournament’s status as a vital platform for discovering future stars, perfectly aligned with Dubai’s vision to enhance sports investment and nurture multinational talents.