Club World Cup Preview: Al Ain

In partnership with

Hooligan Soccer

·12 giugno 2025

Club World Cup Preview: Al Ain

The twenty-sixth in our continuing series highlighting all thirty-two clubs in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. The event starts on Saturday, June 14th.

Club Background

From: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
How They Qualified: They won the AFC Champions League in 2023 and 2024.
Best CWC Finish: This is their second trip. They were runners-up in 2018, losing to Real Madrid.

Recent Form: Finished fifth in the UAE Pro League, outside the qualification zone for AFC Champions League. Finished dead last in the AFC Champions League group stage, with only two points from a pair of draws.
Facts: Founded in 1968. They are the most successful UAE club domestically and internationally. The club’s crest feature the Al Jahili Fort (a popular tourist attraction in Abu Dhabi) and two stars (for their two AFC Champions League wins in 2003 and 2023). The purple color on their crest and kit was reportedly inspired by Belgian side Anderlect. Played the fewest competitive games since August 2024 (38).

The Team

Manager: Vladimir Ivić He replaced Argentine Hernán Crespo in December 2024 but was unable to stop the team’s slide in the domestic league.
Star Players: Soufiane Rahimi Moroccan forward. 19g/5a. Alejandro Romero (aka Kaku) Paraguayan attacking midfielder. 10g/13a. Kojo Fo Doh Laba Togolese forward. 21g/4a.
Young Players: Eisa Khalfan (forward, 22, UAE prospect), Hazem Mohammad (midfielder, 20, youth international)
Training Sites: Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida

When to Watch

9:00pm ET on Jun 18, 2025 vs. Juventus @ Audi Field, Washington DC
9:00pm ET on Jun 22, 2025 vs. Manchester City @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
3:00pm ET on Jun 26, 2025 vs. Wydad AC @ Audi Field, Washington DC

The Hooligan Take

Al-Ain is a pale shadow of the team that ran through the AFC CL in 2023 and 2024. Their performances this season left a lot to be desired. Despite a strong finish to the UAE league they will not play CL soccer next season (their terrible showing in this year’s competition raised questions whether they played too). The team is utterly dependent on their attacking duo of Soufiane Rahimi and Kojo Fo Doh Laba, who scored nearly 70% of all the team’s goals in league play.