The battle for the global football IP is intensifying among the three Middle Eastern countries.

Written by Han Bing Having just hosted the Globe Soccer Awards, Dubai is not satisfied and aims to host a more official and weighty ceremony. On December 29, FIFA declared that from 2026 onwards, the FIFA Annual Awards will take place in Dubai. To align with this partnership, FIFA will rebrand the annual awards next year as the “FIFA World Football Awards.”

After Qatar and Saudi Arabia secured the World Cup hosting rights, the UAE obtaining this globally influential FIFA event IP signifies that the three Middle Eastern countries are increasingly engaged in intense strategic competition with Europe through football.

Dubai winning the hosting rights for FIFA’s premier annual event is quite surprising. Over the past 15 years, Dubai has been striving to elevate the international influence of its self-created Globe Soccer Awards, aiming to rival the Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s best player awards. However, by hosting the FIFA World Football Awards, Dubai’s ambition is to acquire FIFA’s core IP and create an annual gala that surpasses the Ballon d’Or in scope and representation. Every year-end, the global football spotlight will be on Dubai, and the FIFA World Football Awards “carnival” will become a new bargaining chip for the UAE to compete with Qatar and Saudi Arabia as the “new world football hub.”

Although the details of the revamped FIFA Annual Best Awards—such as categories, judging criteria, and timing—have not yet been announced, Middle Eastern media speculate it may follow the Globe Soccer Awards model. The scope could expand from best coach and player to include best sporting director, agent, president, and other football professionals, as well as clubs, national teams, youth academies, and football-related sectors of sports brands. Incentive awards like best career comeback and lifetime achievement may also be included. Naturally, awards for the best Middle Eastern or Arab players centered in Dubai are expected. It might even cover best players across six continents, achieving comprehensive award coverage that surpasses the Ballon d’Or.

As Sheikh Mansour, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, stated: hosting the FIFA World Football Awards highlights Dubai’s significant role on the global football map, demonstrating its commitment to advancing world football and ensuring the UAE’s substantial influence in the sport. Dubai’s acquisition is not just the highest-level football awards ceremony but also a landmark achievement in the UAE’s national strategy to integrate deeply into Europe through football.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have long dedicated themselves to national economic transformation and reshaping their international image. On one hand, they invest in European industries to deeply embed themselves in European society and economy, showcasing a new image of openness and diversity; on the other, they aim to turn the Middle East into a key political and economic transit hub between East and West, making sports, tourism, and international exchanges new pillar industries for these three energy-exporting countries.

Such a grand national strategic transformation makes investing in football a crucial breakthrough for the Middle Eastern countries to enter Europe. Today, Middle Eastern capital holds an unshakable position in Europe’s top five leagues.

Besides spending heavily in Europe, another battlefield for the Middle East is bringing the world’s top football IP “home.” Qatar and Saudi Arabia have successively won the rights to host the men’s World Cup; Qatar also secured consecutive editions of the FIFA Confederations Cup, four consecutive FIFA Arab Cups, and five straight U17 World Cups. Saudi Arabia has invested heavily to build the “world’s sixth biggest league,” attracting top stars and coaches, and has obtained hosting rights for the Spanish and Italian Super Cups. In contrast, the UAE is at a clear disadvantage, having hosted only five Club World Cups and securing the French Super Cup hosting rights in early 2026.

Men’s world football tournaments are almost monopolized by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, so the FIFA Annual Awards Ceremony represents Dubai’s unique path in competing for football IP. The competition among the three Middle Eastern countries in football is heating up, with the UAE, especially Dubai, rapidly catching up, and the rivalry is expected to intensify further in the future.