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 | Dubai Sports City | |
| Chairman | Sheikh Ahmed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan | |
| Manager | Iñaki Beni | |
| League | UAE Second 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]The club was founded in October 2023 by Soheil Var, a Persian-Canadian former professional footballer, as Al Qabila FC, which means "the tribe" in Arabic. The club gained recognition through social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok[2] and secured a club license within its first six months of operation.[3] The United Arab Emirates Football Association, however, did not recognize the Al Qabila 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, while SupremeFX became the team's primary sponsor. Al Qabila FC established a partnership with Fleetwood United FC, a club competing in the UAE Second Division League.[clarification needed]
Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan was appointed as club president, and the formation of a youth academy was announced, scheduled to commence in September 2024. Antonios Assad joined the club as the strength and conditioning coach.
Al Qabila FC played its first competitive match in September 2024, securing a 3–1 victory over TFA Dubai, with Richie Danquah scoring the club’s first official goal. The club's first league season saw them finish 4th in the league, earning promotion to the UAE Second Division.
In October 2025, the club rebranded to Palm City FC after its former name was found unacceptable by the United Arab Emirates Football Association.[8]
On October 10, 2025, the club announced the appointment of Iñaki Beni as its new head coach.[9]
Honours
[edit]Leagues
[edit]- UAE Second Division: 1
- 2025-26
Cups
[edit]- UAE FA Cup :1
- 2025-26
Squad
[edit]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]| 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]- ^ "UAE Football Association". www.uaefa.ae. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
- ^ "Sports content creation enhances communication between athletes and fans". WAM - The Emirates News Agency. January 2025.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "We proudly announce the appointment of Coach Iñaki Beni as our new Head Coach...." @fc.palmcity on Instagram. Retrieved 2025-10-09.