Dubai Sports Council Kicks Off Annual Summer Football Tournament for Youth Academies
The Dubai Sports Council launches today (Friday 1st of August 2025) the 2025 edition of its annual Summer Football Tournament for youth academies, running through 13 August. The tournament is part of the Council’s long-term strategy to identify, nurture, and develop young sporting talent in line with the emirate’s vision for athletic excellence across all disciplines.
Now in its fifteenth edition since its inception in 2010, the summer tournament plays a vital role in preparing Dubai’s youth and junior football teams for the upcoming 2025–2026 season. Organised by the Dubai Sports Council, the event provides a competitive platform for emerging players to test their abilities in real match conditions, contributing significantly to their physical readiness and technical development.
This year’s tournament features five age categories: Under-13, Under-14, Under-15, Under-16, and Under-17. Matches will take place across several major sports venues in Dubai. The Under-13 matches will be held at Dubai Sports World in the Dubai World Trade Centre, Under-14 at Al Wasl Club, Under-15 at Al Nasr Club, and both Under-16 and Under-17 fixtures will take place at Shabab Al Ahli Club.
Seven prominent teams from the UAE and the wider Gulf region are participating in the competition: Shabab Al Ahli, Al Wasl, Al Nasr, Hatta Club, Saudi Youth, Gunners Academy, and Al Furjan Academy. The tournament follows a single round-robin group format in each age category, where each team plays against all others in its group once. The team with the highest points at the end of the round is crowned champion of its category.
The tournament commenced today with the Under-14 category at Al Wasl Club, where Al Nasr faced Hatta, followed by Al Wasl against Shabab Al Ahli. Fixtures continue on 5 August with Hatta vs Shabab Al Ahli and Al Nasr vs Al Wasl, concluding on 9 August with Al Wasl vs Hatta and Shabab Al Ahli vs Al Nasr. All matches in this category are scheduled between 5:30 pm and 7:15 pm.
The Under-15 competition kicks off on Saturday, 2 August at Al Nasr Club. Al Nasr will face Hatta, and Al Wasl will play Shabab Al Ahli. The action resumes on 6 August with Hatta taking on Shabab Al Ahli and Al Nasr facing Al Wasl. The final day of the U15 matches is 10 August, with Al Wasl vs Hatta and Shabab Al Ahli vs Al Nasr. All games begin at 6:00 pm.
The Under-16 age group will see its matches hosted at Shabab Al Ahli Club. Proceedings begin on Friday, 1 August, featuring Al Nasr vs Gunners Academy, and Al Wasl vs Shabab Al Ahli. The next round takes place on 5 August, with Al Nasr playing Al Wasl and Saudi Youth facing Shabab Al Ahli. The final day of matches on 9 August features Al Wasl vs Saudi Youth, followed by Shabab Al Ahli vs Al Nasr. All games start at 6:00 pm.
The Under-17 matches, also at Shabab Al Ahli Club, commence on Saturday, 2 August with Al Nasr taking on Hatta and Al Wasl meeting Shabab Al Ahli. Fixtures continue on 6 August with Hatta vs Shabab Al Ahli and Al Nasr vs Al Wasl. The final matches will be held on 10 August with Al Wasl playing Hatta, followed by Shabab Al Ahli vs Al Nasr. All matches are set for a 6:00 pm kick-off.
The final age category, Under-13, will be contested from 11 to 13 August at Dubai Sports World. Day one features Al Nasr vs Shabab Al Ahli and Al Wasl vs Al Furjan Academy. The tournament continues on 12 August with Al Wasl vs Al Nasr and Shabab Al Ahli vs Al Furjan. The competition wraps up on 13 August with Shabab Al Ahli facing Al Wasl and Al Furjan meeting Al Nasr. All matches in this category take place between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.
An innovative element introduced by the organisers this year is the implementation of penalty shootouts immediately after every match, regardless of the result. This initiative is designed to simulate high-pressure scenarios and sharpen players’ decision-making and composure under stress, while also enhancing the reflexes and performance of goalkeepers.
In preparation for the tournament, the organising committee held a coordination meeting with the managers of all participating academies to review the competition’s regulations, match schedules, and match management protocols. The UAE Football Association has been involved in the appointment of match officials to ensure professional standards throughout the event.
The summer tournament exemplifies the Dubai Sports Council’s commitment to building a sustainable and competitive football ecosystem, offering aspiring players a structured environment to develop both on and off the pitch. It also serves the broader goal of instilling professionalism, tactical discipline, and team spirit from an early age, laying a solid foundation for future contributions to club and national teams alike.
