UAE Pro League Awards 2025-26: Al Ain Sweep Honours as Andrés Iniesta Named Global Ambassador

Dubai: The UAE Pro League celebrated the biggest achievers of the 2025–26 season at its annual awards ceremony at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi.

The event brought together UAE Pro League Chairman H.E. Abdulla Naser Al Jneibi, board members, senior officials, sports figures, football stars, club representatives, strategic partners and members of the media.

The ceremony began with an address from Al Jneibi, who welcomed attendees and highlighted the key moments and achievements of the 2025–26 season.

Al Jneibi highlighted the growing power and influence of football across the region, with UAE Pro League competitions reaching more than 45 million television viewers and being covered by over 800 media outlets last season.

Digital platforms generated more than five billion media impressions, while the League’s media value surpassed AED 1 billion, underlining the huge commercial impact of football for its partners and clubs.

With the new season getting underway on Friday, Al Jneibi explained that the goal is to build on last season’s achievements and continue pushing for even greater success.

The evening saw the launch of the new UAE Pro League official anthem, “Football Brings Us Together”.

Sung in four languages, the song celebrates the UAE’s diverse society and the League’s growing identity, while showcasing football’s unique ability to unite fans and cultures from across the globe.

As the awards ceremony was about to get underway, a major announcement stole the spotlight, with World Cup winner Andrés Iniesta named a global ambassador for the UAE Pro League.

The Spanish football legend, who is also head coach of Dubai-based Gulf United, is further strengthening his ties to the game in the region, highlighting his commitment to investing in the future of football in the UAE.

UAE’s most successful club, Al Ain, swept up the awards following an incredible campaign which saw them win the UAE Pro League without being beaten.

Matias Palacios took home the Golden Ball for Best Player, with goalkeeper Khalid Eissa winning the Golden Glove and manager Vladimir Ivić claiming the Leader Award for Best Coach. Abdulkarim Trawri was named Best U23 Player, while Soufian Rahimi completed Al Ain’s haul by winning the Fans’ Player of the Year award.

Al Wasl’s Sérgio Pereira claimed the Best Goal Award, while the statistics-based honours saw Kodjo Laba win the ADNOC Pro League Golden Shoe after scoring 25 goals.

Abdoulaye Toure took the ADIB Cup Golden Shoe, while Ali Al-Maamari won the Pro League U23 Silver Shoe after netting 17 goals.