The Red Bull Winning 5 football tournament returns to UAE for the second year in a row and will see 20 teams of university students competing in a thrilling series of matches in a non-traditional football format, with the event held over October 15-30.

The unconventional tournament pits teams of five against each other, with no goalkeeper, in fast-paced 10-minute matches, with each team eliminating a player from the opposition every time a goal is scored.

When a team scores, its captain can simply select a player from the other team to leave the pitch, until all players are eliminated. 

If the match result is a draw at full-time, teams of two will be facing off to score the decider in a sudden death format. 

The format is designed to push all five players in the participating team to their limits, as each has to strike, defend, and protect his team’s 2×1 metre goal in the absence of a goalkeeper. 

Last year, Samba from the American University of Sharjah, captured the inaugural Red Bull Winning 5 title.

Ten universities will take part in this year, and the tournament proper is set to take place around numerous university campuses, most notably Abu Dhabi University, Heriot-Watt University, Canadian University of Dubai, Al Ain University, United Arab Emirates University, American University in Dubai, and American University of Sharjah. 

The tournament itself is followed by national finals which includes 20 teams and will be held at the in Zaabeel Park, Dubai, on November 7.