United Arab Emirates veterans' national football team

The United Arab Emirates national veterans football team (Arabic: منتخب الإمارات لكرة القدم لقدامى اللاعبين) is the representative association football team of the United Arab Emirates for veteran players. It is controlled by the United Arab Emirates Football Association and competes in international matches for retired players, including the Gulf Cup for Veteran Players.^[1]

A side representing veteran Emirati players participated in friendly matches as early as 2010, when a UAE veterans team played against a German veterans selection at the Al‑Ahli Stadium in Dubai, featuring former stars from both countries. This match was part of a cooperation agreement between the two football associations to stage annual veterans fixtures.^[3]

The United Arab Emirates national veterans’ football team achieved a notable milestone in 2005 by qualifying for the finals of the Veteran’s World Cup, a competition for footballers aged over 40. This tournament, scheduled to be held in Thailand in April 2006, was organised as an international event for veteran players — distinct from the FIFA World Cup contested by senior national teams. The UAE veterans qualified through the Asian regional phase of the competition, where they secured important victories over other veteran sides such as Korea and Laos, although they were ultimately defeated by the host nation, Thailand, during the qualifying process. This accomplishment marked a significant moment for former Emirati internationals, bringing together players from the country’s celebrated footballing past to compete on a global veterans stage. Among the squad members during this campaign was Adnan Al-Taliyani, who had been a prominent figure in Emirati football and had previously played for the senior national team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Al-Taliyani publicly praised his teammates’ efforts in qualifying for the Veterans World Cup finals, emphasising their talent and experience, and expressed gratitude for the support of sponsors and the United Arab Emirates Football Association in facilitating the team’s participation.^[4]

The United Arab Emirates veterans team took part in the inaugural 2025 Gulf Cup for Veteran Players, the first edition of the tournament organised by the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation for former Gulf national team stars. The competition was held in Kuwait from 22 to 26 February 2025, featuring eight teams composed of retired players who had participated in past Arabian Gulf Cup tournaments.

In the group stage, the UAE team was drawn into Group A against Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman. The team played all three group matches in Sulaibikhat Stadium. Their first match finished in a goalless draw against Qatar. They also drew 0–0 with Kuwait before losing 1–0 to Oman.^[5]

For the 2025 tournament, the UAE veterans squad included a selection of seasoned former professionals drawn from across the Emirates’ football history. The reported lineup featured players such as Majid Nasser, Walid Salem, Basheer Saeed, Mohand Al-Anzi, Yousuf Jaber, Mundhir Ali, Jum’a Khater, Abdullah Mallah, Ahmed Khamis, Sabit Khater, Salem Khamis, Hilal Saeed, Abdulrahim Jum’ah, Nasser Khamis, Rami Yaslam, Faisal Khalil, Mohamed Sarour, Ismail Matar, and Saeed Al-Khas.^[6]