UAE Pro League Awards 2025-2026: Voting Opens July 27 as Nominees Revealed
Voting for the UAE Pro League Awards 2025-2026 opened on July 27, 2026, with the Professional Football League publishing full nominee lists and inviting captains, coaches, media and fans to take part. The voting window runs five days and closes on August 1, 2026, with winners to be announced at the annual ceremony on August 10, 2026, at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental. The slate of nominees spans marquee names, rising under-23 talent and statistical award winners from the concluded season.
Voting Period and Eligible Voters
Voting will be conducted through the UAE Pro League’s official website and its mobile applications, the league confirmed in a statement. Eligible participants include club captains, team coaches, registered journalists and the general public, all of whom may cast ballots during the five-day period. The league stressed the importance of broad participation in shaping the fan-selected categories and final honours.
Golden Ball contenders named
The Golden Ball shortlist features some of the season’s most influential attackers and playmakers, including Matías Palacios, Kodjo Laba, Ramy Rabia, Alejandro Romero and Sofiane Rahimi from Al Ain. Also shortlisted are Nicolás Giménez of Al Wasl, Al Ahli pair Yuri César and Guilherme Bala, Omar Khrbin of Al Wahda and Tarik Tissoudali of Khorfakkan. The selection reflects performances across the campaign and highlights both domestic and international talent active in the UAE Pro League.
Golden Glove finalists and coaching nominees
The Golden Glove race includes Khalid Eisa of Al Ain, Hamad Al-Maqbali of Shabab Al Ahli, Ali Al Hosani of Ajman, Ali Khaseif of Al Jazira and Zayed Ahmed of Al Wahda. Those five custodians were recognised for their consistency and match-winning interventions across the season. The Coach of the Year field is similarly competitive, with Vladimir Ivic (Al Ain), Goran Tufegdzic (Ajman), Rui Vitória (Al Wasl), Marino Pusic (Al Jazira) and Paulo Sousa (Shabab Al Ahli) vying for the award.
Under-23 talent shortlisted for Golden Boy
The Golden Boy category, limited to players under 23, highlights the league’s emerging talent pipeline with nominees such as Abdulkarim Traoré and Al-Hussain Rahimi of Al Ain. Al Jazira’s Vinicius Melo and Mamadou Coulibaly are also in contention, alongside Shabab Al Ahli prospects Renan Victor, Mohamed Al Mansouri and Con Santos, plus Abdullah Tori of Al Nassr. The list underscores scouting and development successes by several clubs and the increasing role of young players in first-team plans.
Fan’s Choice category and popular vote mechanics
The fan-selected category offers supporters a wide-ranging ballot of 23 players, with Al Ain contributing eight candidates and Shabab Al Ahli providing six names. Al Jazira, Al Wahda and other clubs are also represented, and the fans’ category includes a dedicated vote for the season’s best goal. The league has encouraged supporters to use the official digital channels to cast a single vote per device, noting that fan participation will be a decisive factor in several awards.
Statistical honours and club accreditation awards
Separate statistical awards have already recognised season-top performers, with Kodjo Laba confirmed as the Pro League Golden Boot winner. Abdullah Tori claimed the Golden Boot for the Pro League Cup, while Ali Al Maamari secured the silver boot for the under-23 scoring table. The league also named a Team of the Season consisting of the best eleven players, and it will present non-playing awards that include fan attendance, club licensing and professionalisation benchmarks.
Fans and stakeholders were reminded that awards under the “criteria” category will reflect broader institutional metrics beyond on-field results. Those criteria—attendance figures, licensing compliance and professional standards—are intended to reward clubs that invest in facilities, governance and fan experience. League officials said these categories form part of a strategic push to raise overall standards across Emirati football.
Voters and observers have until August 1, 2026 to submit their choices, after which the Professional League will tally results and prepare for the awards night on August 10, 2026. Supporters are being urged to vote early and to use only the league’s official platforms to ensure their selections are counted. The ceremony at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental will reveal winners across player, coaching, statistical and club accreditation categories and conclude the 2025-2026 awards calendar.
