Egypt star Rami Rabia nominated for UAE Pro League Player of the Year award

Egyptian international defender Rami Rabia has been shortlisted among the nominees for the UAE Pro League’s prestigious Best Player award for the 2025-26 season following his outstanding performances with Al Ain FC.

The UAE Pro League announced the list of nominees on Monday, confirming that voting for the individual awards will remain open for five days until August 1, with the winners set to be revealed during the league’s annual awards ceremony scheduled for August 10.

The voting process will involve team captains, head coaches, media representatives and supporters, who will cast their votes through the UAE Pro League’s official website and smart applications.

Rabia, who joined Al Ain after leaving Egyptian giants Al Ahly, has quickly established himself as one of the standout defenders in UAE football. His consistency, leadership and defensive qualities have earned him recognition among the league’s top performers.

The former Al Ahly captain is competing for the Golden Ball award for the best player in the UAE Pro League, facing strong competition from several of the league’s biggest stars.

Interestingly, four of Rabia’s Al Ain teammates have also been nominated for the same prize, highlighting the club’s dominance during the season. The nominees from Al Ain include Argentine midfielder Matías Palacios, Togolese striker Kodjo Laba, Brazilian playmaker Alejandro Romero and Moroccan forward Soufiane Rahimi.

Other players shortlisted for the Best Player award include Nicolas Jiménez of Al Wasl, Shabab Al Ahli duo Yuri César and Guilherme Bala, Al Wahda striker Omar Khribin, and Moroccan attacker Tarik Tissoudali of Khorfakkan.

Besides, Rabia has been shortlisted among the nominees for the Fans’ Player of the Year award.

The fan award features 23 players, with Al Ain providing seven representatives. Alongside Rabia, the club’s nominees include Kodjo Laba, Matías Palacios, Soufiane Rahimi, Alejandro Romero, goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, Abdul Karim Traore and Al-Hussain Rahimi.

Shabab Al Ahli have six players nominated for the fans’ award: Yuri César, Guilherme Bala, Hamad Al Muqbali, Renan Victor, Mohammed Al Mansouri and Con Santos Silva.

Al Jazira are represented by three players — goalkeeper Ali Khaseif, Mamadou Coulibaly and Vinicius Melo — while Al Wahda have Omar Khribin and Zayed Ahmed among the nominees.

The remaining contenders include Nicolas Jiménez of Al Wasl, Tarik Tissoudali of Khorfakkan, Ali Al Hosani of Ajman and Abdallah Toure of Al Nasr.

In addition to the individual player awards, fans will also have the opportunity to vote for the league’s most beautiful goal of the season.

Rabia’s nominations underline the impact he has made since moving to UAE football, with the experienced centre-back continuing to earn recognition for his performances at both club and international level. His strong showing with Al Ain has placed him among the leading candidates for one of the biggest individual honours in the UAE Pro League.