Inside DOFA: The competition helping shape the future of UAE football

Dubai: As World Cup fever sweeps across Dubai with residents from across the globe supporting their nation, closer to home the city has its own success story to celebrate through Dubai Open Football Academies Tournament (DOFA), a competition playing a growing role in developing the next generation of UAE football talent.

Although the country has only produced one World Cup team in its history, the UAE Football Association’s long-term ambition of returning to football's biggest stage is being supported by the grassroots initiative, which provides a pathway for thousands of young players across the country.

DOFA has become one of the most important youth football competitions in the UAE since its launch in 2022.

Created by the Dubai Sports Council in collaboration with the UAE FA, the tournament was designed to provide a structured, high-level competition for academy players while helping to strengthen football development across the country.

Since then, DOFA has grown rapidly, attracting thousands of players from dozens of academies across the UAE. More than 12,000 players from over 90 nationalities took part during the 2025-26 season, making it one of the largest youth football tournaments in the region.

Hosted regularly at ISD Dubai Sports City, the competition features multiple age groups for both boys and girls, giving young footballers regular opportunities to compete, develop their skills and gain valuable match experience in a professional environment.

Beyond the results on the pitch, DOFA plays a huge role in the UAE football pathway. The tournament brings together academy coaches, scouts and football officials, creating opportunities for talented players to be identified and progress to higher levels of the game.

By increasing the number of competitive matches available to young players and raising standards across academy football, DOFA is helping to build the foundations for the next generation of Emirati talent.

DOFA offers young players a genuine opportunity to catch the eye of academy coaches, scouts and national team selectors, providing a pathway towards higher levels of the game.

One example of this is Jayden Adetiba, who previously featured in the competition before progressing through the UAE's youth football pathway.

Adetiba, who now plays for Ipswich Town's Under-18 side, went on to represent the UAE at youth international level and was part of the squad that secured qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.

The Young Whites ended a 12-year absence from the tournament by reaching the knockout stages of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, offering evidence the UAE's youth football system is moving in the right direction.

The 2025–26 edition was the biggest and most inclusive in the tournament’s history, bringing together more than 12,000 male and female players across 558 teams from 117 academies, including 40 girls’ teams.

Players from all seven Emirates took part in age groups ranging from under-six to under-23 level.

The competition experienced significant growth compared to the previous season, with player participation increasing by 9.1% and team entries rising by 11.6%.

Those figures underlined the tournament’s growing popularity and its importance in helping develop young footballers across the UAE.