Phoenix United FC · Dubai · UAE FA Licensed

The doors
open here

The professional game won't knock on your door. Train as a professional in Dubai and earn an accredited university degree — at the same time.

Football. Degree. Pathway.

Start Your Pathway → See the programme

UAE 3rdDivision football

UK / USAccredited degree

UEFALicensed coaching

20Founding places · 26/27

The Programme

Built in Dubai.
Designed for the world.

The pitch builds character.
Education builds futures.
Phoenix unites them.

Phoenix United was built by two brothers — Bader and Amer Al-Akkad. The idea came from Bader's own story: when illness ended his playing career, he came back and built the club he wished had existed — one where professional football and a real education are part of the same path.

We hold one of the few professional licences the UAE FA has granted. We use it to build players who go further on the pitch and arrive ready for everything beyond it.

Come for the football — everyone does. You'll leave with more than you came with: a degree, a network, a future you can build on.

Bader Al-Akkad · Co-Founder

Phoenix United players against the Dubai skyline

Dubai · Interim visual

Who it's for

The ones who move first

Built for players 18–25 who are serious about the professional game and just as serious about the life after it. The players who make it are the ones who move before they feel ready.

01
You're chasing a professional pathway — not a trial week.
02
You want a degree that stands on its own, wherever football goes.
03
You do the work when no one is watching.
04
You're ready to leave home to earn your place.

Where you'll play

Real league football. Real exposure.

You play in the official professional competition of the Emirates. You start in the squad and you fight for your spot every week — minutes are earned, not bought.

Tier 1ADNOC Pro League

Tier 2UAE First Division

Tier 3UAE Second Division

Tier 4UAE Third Division — Phoenix UnitedYou play here

100%

Every match is officially recorded for tactical review and international recruitment. Your season becomes a highlight reel scouts can actually watch.

A day in the life

Every hour has a purpose

01 · AMMorning

Technical training. UEFA-licensed coaching on the pitches before the heat peaks.

02 · PMAfternoon

Structured downtime — dedicated hours for your degree, business masterclasses and recovery.

03 · PMEvening

Strength & conditioning and video analysis. Programming by Harry Knock, former Chelsea FC Academy S&C coach.

04 · WkndWeekend

Match day in the UAE Third Division. You play.

Where you live

A base built for focus

You live minutes from where you train, in one of the safest and most connected cities on earth. Everything is handled so you can concentrate on one thing.

—
Premium 4-star hotel residence, 24/7 security.
—
Full access to the fitness centre and recovery pools.
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Managed transport to every pitch and official match.
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Direct exposure to Dubai's international corporate world.
—
Meet more people in a week here than a year most places.

Three clubs · One network

One year here. Three ways forward.

You start at Phoenix United in Dubai — a UAE FA–licensed club in a city built for global access. From here, the network opens more doors.

Dubai · UAE Phoenix United

Your entry club. Professional football in the UAE Third Division, a degree alongside it, and a city that connects to everywhere.

Your starting line

Manchester · England Radcliffe FC

A step into the English football pyramid, in a city that is a football city and a university city in one.

The English route

Algarve · Portugal Silves FC

A football-first base in the Algarve, inside the European game and its recruitment corridors.

The European route

Set on the US college route? Our partner handles placement and recruitment into the American college system — so you keep playing while you earn your degree.

Ask about the US route

What's included

Everything the season asks for

On the Pitch

Daily training with UEFA-licensed coaches
Official player registration (UAE FA)
Matches in the UAE Third Division
S&C to a Chelsea Academy methodology
Official Phoenix United kit — training, travel, matchday

Performance & Exposure

Every match officially recorded
Tactical video analysis
One-to-one development reviews
Your personal highlight reel

Living & Support

4-star hotel accommodation, 24/7 security
Fitness centre and recovery pools
International medical insurance
Physiotherapy, ice baths, recovery
24/7 on-site player welfare

Logistics

Full UAE residency visa & legal sponsorship
Airport transfers
Private transport to training & matches
Weekly laundry

The people

Who you learn from

FoundersBader & Amer Al-Akkad

Two brothers, one vision — the club they wished had existed, built from Dubai for the world.

AmbassadorDanny Simpson

Premier League winner. Former Manchester United. Mentored under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Head CoachJamie Ward

UEFA A licensed. 450+ professional appearances and a former Northern Ireland international.

Head of RecruitmentRuben Rodriguez

Played college football in the US. 150+ players placed into American university programmes since 2020.

Strength & conditioning programmed by Harry Knock, former Chelsea FC Academy S&C coach.

The investment

Two things. One place.

A residential football academy in Europe runs $40,000–$55,000 a season. An accredited university degree runs $20,000–$40,000 a year. Players usually pay for them separately. Phoenix United puts both in one place.

The Complete Path Football + Degree

Train as a professional and study for an accredited international degree at the same time. You graduate and you develop — together.

Your figure is set on your evaluation call

The Pro Path Football Only

The full football programme, for the player whose focus is entirely the professional game this season.

Your figure is set on your evaluation call

Founding Year · 2026/27. The inaugural class includes a Founding Scholarship — reserved for the first cohort only. We discuss your exact place, path and figure on your evaluation call.

Start Your Pathway →

Apply · Founding Class 26/27

See if you meet the standard

Book an evaluation call. We look at your game, talk through your path, and tell you honestly whether this is right for you.

Quality before quantity — if only seven players meet the standard, the Founding Class is seven. We don't fill spots to make up numbers.

20Places · opening season

SeptWindow closes

1Evaluation call to start

Questions

Straight answers

Players aged 18–25 who are serious about the professional game and about the life beyond it. You bring the work; the platform is already here.

Yes. You train daily with UEFA-licensed coaches, register officially with the UAE FA, and play in the UAE Third Division — the official professional competition of the Emirates. Every match is recorded.

You study for an accredited UK or US university degree during structured afternoon hours built into the week — not stacked on top of it. Football and education are on the same path, not in competition.

Yes. Full UAE residency visa processing and legal sponsorship are handled by the club, alongside 4-star hotel accommodation, transport, insurance and 24/7 player welfare.

There are two paths — Football + Degree, or Football only. Your exact place, path and figure are set on your evaluation call, so we can be specific to you. The 2026/27 Founding Class includes a Founding Scholarship for the first cohort only.

No — and we won't pretend otherwise. Your investment provides the platform; minutes are earned. Playing time is dictated by your work, and you fight for your spot every week.

You start at Phoenix United, but you join a network. Radcliffe FC opens the English pyramid, Silves FC opens the European game, and our partner handles placement into the US college system.

20 places for the opening season, and the window closes in September. If only seven players meet the standard, the Founding Class is seven.

The doorsopen here

Built in Dubai.Designed for the world.