Why Global Sport Keeps Coming Back to the Middle East
Dubai did not qualify for the men’s World Cup this cycle. Yet as the year turns, few cities are hosting more of the conversations that shape the future of global sport.
In recent weeks, football’s most recognisable figures, senior executives and investors have gathered in the emirate for a sequence of high-profile summits and ceremonies. What draws them is not a single tournament or club, but a city that has positioned itself as a reliable centre for decision-making in an increasingly complex sports economy.
At the Globe Soccer Awards, Cristiano Ronaldo was named Middle East Player of the Year. The Portugal captain, who has played for Al Nassr since 2022, is a regular presence at Gulf-based sports events and conferences. His ownership of property on Jumeirah Bay Island is emblematic of a wider trend, with elite athletes choosing Dubai not only as a base, but as a long-term investment destination.
The strongest signal of Dubai’s growing role came from FIFA. Speaking at the World Sports Summit, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that from 2026 onwards, the FIFA World Football Awards will be permanently hosted in Dubai. The ceremony, previously staged in rotating global capitals, brings together football’s most influential leaders to recognise excellence on and off the pitch.
For global sport, the move reflects trust in Dubai’s infrastructure, neutrality and capacity to host large-scale international events. With the expanded 2026 World Cup featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across North America, the sport’s calendar is expanding. So too is the need for stable global hubs where leaders can convene beyond competition cycles.
Dubai’s appeal extends well beyond football. Figures such as Roger Federer, Lionel Messi and David Beckham have invested in real estate in the city. Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur has launched a tennis academy in Dubai Academic City, while former footballers, including Mamadou Sakho, are building post-playing businesses in the emirate. Each investment adds to Dubai’s global visibility and reinforces its reputation as a crossroads of sport, capital and culture.
Tax efficiency, security, year-round sunshine and one of the world’s most connected airports underpin this momentum. Even when clubs such as FC Bayern Munich choose to train elsewhere due to scheduling constraints, the broader trajectory remains clear.
Dubai has become more than a host city. It is increasingly a meeting point for the people, ideas and investments shaping the future of global sport.