The boys from Dubai will compete against teams from over ten countries, including the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Celtic.

Past players include Stephen Gerrard, Andrei Shevchenko and Michael Owen.  It’s no wonder that many of the big English clubs send their talent scouts.

Terry Kidd, the E-sports football coach, is full of nothing but praise for the the boys, all aged between 9 and 13.  But the economic downturn has even had an impact on them. He is still looking for a sponsor to take over from GEMS schools, who sponsored the teams last year.

Still, the players have other things on their mind. Ten year old left winger Jensen Hill was wondering whether Manchester United would be looking for a replacement for Ronaldo, and might he — just possibly — come from Dubai?