Palm City FC
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| Full name | Palm City Football Club | |
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| Nickname | The Tribe | |
| Founded | October 2023, as Al Qabila FC | |
| Stadium | Shabab Al Ahli Al Aweer | |
| Chairman | Sheikh Ahmed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan | |
| Manager | Grégory Dufrennes | |
| League | UAE First Division League | |
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Palm City FC (Arabic: نادي بالم سيتي لكرة القدم, formerly Al Qabila FC, also known as 365 FC) is a professional football club based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. As of the 2026-27 season, the club will compete in the UAE First Division League, the second tier of Emirati football.[1]
History
[edit source]The club was founded in October 2023 by Soheil Var, a former professional footballer and influencer, as Al Qabila FC, which means "The Tribe" in Arabic. The club gained recognition through Soheil Var's social media platforms when he announced the challenge of "Building a Pro Football Club in 365 Days."[2]
The whole process was documented on social media and the football club was built step by step from scratch. After attracting millions of viewers and going viral, the club secured a pro license within its first six months of operation.[3] The United Arab Emirates Football Association, however, did not recognize the Al Qabila FC name and the club was referred to as 365 FC in official league competitions.[4]
The club appointed English former professional footballer Steven Taylor as its first head coach,[5] also recruiting former Newcastle player Demba Cisse,[6] following his departure from French club Amiens.[7] JerseyBird was selected as the kit manufacturer.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan was appointed as club president.
Al Qabila FC played its first competitive match in September 2024, securing a 3–1 victory over TFA Dubai. In the club's first league season, they got promotion to the UAE Second Division.
In October 2025, the club rebranded to Palm City FC after its former name had complications with the United Arab Emirates Football Association.[8] The club signed former Barcelona attacker Cristian Tello and MLS MVP Alejandro Pozuelo. International food brand Yayla came on board as their front kit sponsor.
The club went on to win the UAE Second Division title and the UAE FA Cup in the 2025/26 season.
In July 2026, the club announced the signing of former Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma.
Honours
[edit source]Leagues
[edit source]- UAE Second Division: 1
- 2025-26
Cups
[edit source]- UAE FA Cup :1
- 2025-26
Squad
[edit source]Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
[edit source]| Position | Tenure | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Club President | 2024- | Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan |
| Head Coach | 2025- | Iñaki Beni |
| S&C Coach | 2024- | Antonios Assad |
References
[edit source]- ↑ "UAE Football Association". www.uaefa.ae. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
- ↑ Ilsley, Robert (2026-04-27). "The 365-Day Football Club: Soheil Var's Dubai Masterplan". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
- ↑ للأخبار, مركز الاتحاد (2024-07-04). "76 نادياً تحت لواء اتحاد الكرة في الموسم الجديد". Al Ittihad (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-05-15.
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPl_A31AVhr/?hl=en
- ↑ "Former Phoenix defender Steven Taylor lands manager's job with new club". Friends of Football. 2024-04-20. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ↑ "Demba Cissé Returns to Football with UAE's Al Qabila FC". dailysports.net. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
- ↑ "نادي«القبيلة» في الإمارات يعيد أيقونة السنغال للعب كرة القدم". Al Ittihad (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-05-15.
- ↑ "Why we changed names… #AlQabilaFC #PalmCityFC". @soheil.var on Instagram.