ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — In international soccer, the United Arab Emirates are looking good. The national team finished third at the 2015 Asian Cup continental tournament, and it is stocked with the country’s golden generation of players. The team has a real chance to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
The 14-team Arabian Gulf League, which professionalized in 2008, is now regarded as one of the best in Asia. One of the clubs, Al Ahli of Dubai, reached the final of the Asian Champions League last year.
Yet the league still struggles to attract fans, and it is now facing twin threats from the rise of Qatar and China in global soccer that threaten to knock the Emirates down the soccer ladder.