- Address: Abu Dhabi
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Capacity: 43,000
- Opened: January 1980
- Main use: Football
- Tenants:
Extra stadium info – Zayed Sports City Stadium
The construction of the stadium started in 1974. The national football team of the United Arab Emirates played numerous matches at the venue. In 1990, they played their first-ever FIFA World Cup game. The United Arab Emirates lost the match, which took place in the Italian city of Bologna, against Colombia. They also lost their other two FIFA World Cup games in 1990. In 2007, the national football team of the United Arab Emirates won their first Arabian Gulf Cup title after defeating Oman at the Zayed Sports City Stadium.
The AFC Asian Cup
The venue named Zayed Sports City Stadium hosted its first-ever AFC Asian Cup final in 1996. The national football team of Saudi Arabia won the match after defeating the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates reached the final after winning against Kuwait. Later that day, Saudi Arabia defeated Iran in a penalty shoot-out. The Zayed Sports City Stadium hosted its second AFC Asian Cup final in 2019. Qatar won the game after beating Japan in front of 36,000 spectators. Japan reached the final after winning against Iran. One day later, Qatar reached the final after winning against the United Arab Emirates.
The 2009 FIFA Club World Cup
The Zayed Sports City Stadium hosted its first-ever FIFA Club World Cup final in 2009. The final was won by FC Barcelona from Spain after defeating the Argentine side Estudiantes de La Plata in front of 43,000 spectators. The Estudiantes de La Plata reached the final after winning against the Pohang Steelers from Korea. One day later, FC Barcelona defeated the Mexican side Atlante FC in the semi-finals of the world championship for football clubs. Carles Puyol Saforcada, Daniel Alves da Silva, Eric Sylvain Abidal, Gerard Piqué Bernabeu, Lionel Andrés Messi, Sergio Busquets Burgos, Seydou Keïta, Thierry Daniel Henry, Víctor Valdés Arribas, Xavier Hernández Creus and Zlatan Ibrahimović started for FC Barcelona in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup final.
The 2010 FIFA Club World Cup
In 2010, the Zayed Sports City Stadium hosted its second FIFA Club World Cup final. TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo faced FC Internazionale Milano from the Italian Republic in the final. TP Mazembe reached the final after winning against SC Internacional from Brazil. Internazionale reached the final after beating the Korean club which is currently known as Seongnam FC. Internazionale won the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup final in front of a crowd of 42,000. That final was the first FIFA Club World Cup final with a club from Africa. In 2013, Raja Club Athletic from Morocco became the second club from Africa in a FIFA Club World Cup final.
Real Madrid in the 2010s
Real Madrid, the first sports club with 100 million followers on its main social media page, won two consecutive FIFA Club World Cup finals at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in the 2010s. In 2017, they won the first one after defeating the Brazilian side Grêmio. The Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro scored the only goal in the final. In 2018, Real Madrid faced Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates in the FIFA Club World Cup final. The Spanish football giants won the game 4-1.
