AFC Champions League 2025/26: UAE Teams Make Their Mark on Matchday

The 2025/26 AFC Champions League is underway and teams from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made an immediate impression in the opening round of matches.  

Al-Ain have been the UAE’s poster-boys for success on the continental stage, but they failed to qualify for this season’s tournament.

Al-Sharjah, Al-Wahda and Shabab Al-Ahli are flying the flag for the UAE this term and they each made a solid start to the competition.

Al-Sharjah Win a Thriller

Al -Sharjah edged a seven-goal thriller against Qatari side Al-Gharafa, recovering from a 2-0 first-half deficit to secure a memorable victory. Igor Coronado bagged the winner.

Al-Wahda proved their mettle at the Al-Nahyan Stadium, coming from behind to secure an impressive 2-1 win against Saudi Pro League (SPL) champions Al-Ittihad.

Al-Ittihad took the lead through a long-range belter from former Tottenham Hotspur star Steven Bergwijn 21 minutes into the game.

However, the fixture took a turn 15 minutes later when right-back Muhannad Shanqeeti was shown a red card for a reckless challenge.

Al-Ittihad managed to get through the first half unscathed, but Al-Wahda kicked off the second 45 minutes with a vengeance. 

They came close to levelling the tie five minutes after the restart when Omar Kharbin hit the crossbar with a bullet header. Al-Wahda finally equalised just after the hour mark through Caio. 

Heading into stoppage time, Kharbin hit the post with a header for the second time before Lucas Pimenta popped up with a last-minute winner.

The result sparked a shake-up in the outright betting for the AFC Champions League, with bookmakers unimpressed by Al-Ittihad’s performance.

The were favourites to win the competition with several betting sites in the UAE and will need to improve if they are to justify their short odds.

Shabab Al-Ahli were the only UAE side who failed to pick up a win in their AFC Champions League curtain raiser as they drew 1-1 with Iranian side Tractor.

UAE Teams Eager to Build on a Promising Start

Al-Sharjah face Al-Sadd in their second AFC Champions League group stage fixture. The Qatari side drew with Iraqi outfit Al-Shorta in their opening game.

Al-Sadd triumphed 2-0 the last time these two sides met courtesy of goals on either side of half-time from Gonzalo Plata and Baghdad Bounedjah. The UAE team will be desperate to gain their revenge when they renew hostilities this time around.

Al-Wahda will be hoping to continue their winning start when they face Tractor. This will be the first time both sides are squaring off in the continental competition.

If their draw against Shabab Al-Ahli is any indication, Tractor could prove to be an extremely tough nut to crack for Al-Wahda.

Shabab Al-Ahli have a date with Al-Ittihad in their second game. This is their first meeting in the AFC Champions League, and it will be intriguing to see how they match up with each other.

All three UAE teams have had a decent start to the campaign, and they will be keen to continue in the same vein as the league phase of the competition continues.

Shabab Al-Ahli could be the UAE’s best chance at going the distance in the AFC Champions League and many Arab bettors in the country will share that sentiment.

Given their previous experience in the competition, they are a good bet to at least make it through to the knockout phase by finishing in the top eight.

Things might be a little more complicated for Al-Sharjah and Al-Wahda, but it would be a brave move to wager against them also claiming a top-eight finish.