The summer edition of the Dubai Open Football Academies Tournament has concluded successfully. The tournament was organised by the Dubai Sports Council in cooperation with the UAE Football Association, with Delta Sport as operational partner, and it once again affirms Dubai's standing as a world-leading destination for developing sporting talent and shaping the future of football.
The current edition set record figures, with 576 teams representing various clubs and sports academies taking part. The number of players exceeded 14,000, drawn from more than 90 nationalities, cementing the tournament's status as one of the largest age-group competitions in the region.
More than 2,900 matches were played across age categories ranging from under-6 to under-23, with the competitive momentum providing an integrated environment offering players ample opportunities to gain experience and develop their technical levels.
Ongoing technical assessment and scouting processes identified and registered 187 promising football talents. This strategic step aims to enrol these talents in future development programmes to support their careers and provide greater competitive exposure to help them reach higher levels.
The tournament's considerable success and the discovery of this elite group of football talents translate in practical terms the targets of the Dubai Sports Plan 2033. Talent development is one of the plan's principal pillars, and the Dubai Sports Council has established a comprehensive framework for producing future champions by expanding channels for discovering sporting talent and supporting athletes' pathways to the highest levels of performance.
In terms of results, outstanding teams claimed first-division titles: Manchester City won the under-8 category, Al Wasl Club took the under-9 title, Suva Academy claimed under-10, Al Ahly of Egypt won under-11, and Paris Saint-Germain took the under-12 title.
In the older age groups, Barcelona Academy Dubai dominated the under-13, under-14, under-16, under-17, and under-19 categories, while Desert Falcon claimed the under-15 title and City won the under-23 title, reflecting the strength of competition and the diversity of champions among the participating clubs and academies.
The curtain came down on the tournament with a closing ceremony that included the crowning of winning teams and the honouring of standout players and coaches. The celebratory atmosphere reflected the organisational and technical success of the event, reinforcing the tournament's status as a genuine platform for discovering future stars, in line with Dubai's vision to promote sports investment and develop talent from diverse nationalities.