The opening weekend of the 2025-26 ADNOC Pro League delivered no shortage of excitement, with several new summer arrivals making an immediate impact.
Across Saturday and Sunday’s fixtures, ten debutants caught the eye through goals, assists, and decisive contributions that shaped their teams’ results.
Al Wasl (Edrilson – Hugo
Neto – Pedro Malheiro)
Al Wasl’s new-look trio made a statement in the 2-0 victory over Bani Yas. Brazilian defender Edrilson Silva, recruited from Botafogo, opened the scoring, while Portuguese full-back Pedro Malheiro, signed from Trabzonspor, doubled the lead.
Both goals were created by Hugo Neto, the former Lyon winger, who also registered the highest number of chances created across the opening round.
Khorfakkan (Tissoudali – Elton)
Khorfakkan’s attacking additions inspired a dramatic 3-2 win over Al Jazira.
Moroccan forward Tarik Tissoudali, signed from PAOK, set up goals for Laurency and Elton Monteiro before netting the decisive third himself.
Elton, formerly with Kayserispor, marked his return to the UAE with a goal and a lively display.
Tissoudali ended the round as the league’s leading assist provider.
Al Ain (Adis Jasic)
Austrian midfielder Adis Jasic, brought in from Wolfsberger AC, impressed on his debut against Al Bataeh. He provided the assist for Kodjo Laba’s opener in a 2-1 victory, underlining his creativity in midfield.
Al Wahda (Dusan Tadic)
Serbian playmaker Dusan Tadic, arriving from Fenerbahçe, showcased his class in Al Wahda’s 2-0 triumph over Ajman.
The veteran midfielder delivered a precise assist for Omar Khribin’s goal, offering a glimpse of his influence under coach José Morais.
Dibba (Mahmoud Al Muradi – Khalid Al Blooshi)
Despite a 3-1 defeat to Sharjah, Dibba found positives in the performances of Mahmoud Al Muradi, signed from Al Hussein Irbid, and Khalid Al Blooshi, acquired from Al Ain. Al Muradi scored Dibba’s only goal, assisted by Al Blooshi.
Al Nasr (Zayed Al Zaabi)
Summer signing Zayed Al Zaabi made an instant impact for Al Nasr after his move from Al Jazira. The midfielder delivered the decisive assist for Gustavo’s goal in a narrow 1-0 win over Kalba.
From Al Wasl’s attacking fluency to Khorfakkan’s thrilling comeback and the influence of proven internationals like Tadic, the opening round underlined how new arrivals have already begun to shape the narrative of the new season.
The early impact of these signings highlights the growing competitiveness of the ADNOC Pro League, where clubs are increasingly investing in proven internationals and rising talents alike.
Their immediate contributions suggest that this season could see a tighter race at both ends of the table, with fresh faces not only lifting performances but also raising the overall standard of the competition.
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