Abu Dhabi – July 27, 2026
The UAE Pro League has officially announced the nominees for the 2025-2026 Sports Season Awards, opening the voting period today, Monday, July 27. Voting will remain open for five days until August 1, involving team captains, head coaches, media representatives, and the general public. Ballots can be cast through the Pro League’s official website and smart applications. The winners will be unveiled during the annual awards ceremony scheduled for August 10 at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Award Categories
The season awards are divided into three main categories:
1. Voting Categories
- Golden Ball (Best Player): Nominees include five players from Al Ain (Matias Palacios, Kodjo Laba, Rami Rabia, Alejandro Romero, and Soufiane Rahimi); Nicolas Gimenez (Al Wasl); two players from Shabab Al Ahli (Yuri Cesar and Guilherme Bala); Omar Khribin (Al Wahda); and Tarik Tissoudali (Khorfakkan).
- Golden Glove (Best Goalkeeper): Nominees include Khaled Eisa (Al Ain), Hamad Al Maqbali (Shabab Al Ahli), Ali Al Hosani (Ajman), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), and Zayed Ahmed (Al Wahda).
- Leader Award (Best Coach): A five-way contest featuring Vladimir Ivic (Al Ain), Goran Tufegdzic (Ajman), Rui Vitoria (Al Wasl), Marino Pusic (Al Jazira), and Paulo Sousa (Shabab Al Ahli).
- Golden Boy (Best U-23 Rising Player): Nominees include Abdulkarim Traore and Alhussein Rahimi (Al Ain); Vinicius Mello and Mamadou Coulibaly (Al Jazira); Renan Victor, Mohamed Al Mansoori, and Cuen Santos (Shabab Al Ahli); and Abdalla Touré (Al Nasr).
- Fans’ Choice Award for Best Player: Features 23 shortlisted players: 8 from Al Ain (Kodjo Laba, Rami Rabia, Matias Palacios, Soufiane Rahimi, Alejandro Romero, Khaled Eisa, Abdulkarim Traore, Alhussein Rahimi); 6 from Shabab Al Ahli (Yuri Cesar, Bala, Hamad Al Maqbali, Renan Victor, Mohamed Al Mansoori, Cuen Santos Silva); 3 from Al Jazira (Ali Khaseif, Mamadou Coulibaly, Vinicius Mello); 2 from Al Wahda (Omar Khribin, Zayed Ahmed); Nicolas Gimenez (Al Wasl); Tarik Tissoudali (Khorfakkan); Ali Al Hosani (Ajman); and Abdalla Touré (Al Nasr), alongside the Fans’ Choice for Best Goal award.
2. Statistics-Based Categories
- Golden Shoe (ADNOC Pro League Top Scorer): Secured by Al Ain striker Kodjo Laba.
- Golden Shoe (ADIB Cup Top Scorer): Won by Al Nasr player Abdalla Touré.
- Silver Shoe (U-23 Pro League Top Scorer): Won by Ali Al Maamari.
- Dream Team: Comprising the top 11 players of the season.
3. Criteria-Based Categories
- Attendance Award (Recognizing fan presence and support).
- Club Licensing and Professionalism Award.
