Al Ain put on a dominant display to lift the 49th UAE President’s Cup, crushing regional rivals Al Jazira 4-1 in a thrilling final at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium tonight to put the curtains down on the 2025-2026 football season.
The resounding victory earned Al Ain their eighth President’s Cup trophy, capping off a spectacular domestic double just weeks after they secured their 15th UAE Pro League crown.
Al Jazira caught the champions off guard early on when Nabil Fekir curled in a brilliant free kick from the edge of the box to open the scoring in the 11th minute. However, the joy was short-lived as Al Ain’s star forward Soufiane Rahimi spearheaded the fightback, restoring parity just four minutes later with a clinical equaliser.
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Rahimi turned the game on its head in the 20th minute, unleashing a ferocious strike to put Al Ain in front and leave Al Jazira reeling. The league champions continued to pull the strings, and Abdul Karim Traore dealt a massive psychological blow just before the interval, turning home a third goal in the 44th minute to hand his side a comfortable cushion at halftime.
Al Jazira fought to find a way back into the contest during the second half, but Al Ain’s resolute defence held firm before Erik Jorgens put the icing on the cake, slotting home a fourth deep into stoppage time to spark wild celebrations in the capital.
Source: Khaleej Times