Abu Dhabi: 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. See the President's Cup final in pictures.
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.
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.