Mackenzie Hunt is a talented young footballer from Liverpool. He’s poised to show up and show out as the United Arab Emirates national team looks to qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2026. At a young age, Hunt moved to Liverpool, where he began his storied football career. His story turned on a dime in 2008, when his family followed his father’s job to Dubai in the Middle East. This decision not only altered his surroundings, but set the stage for his growing football potential.
Hunt spent seven years living in Dubai, where he was able to qualify for UAE citizenship. His formative years growing up in the UAE paved the way for his fruitful football career. Prior to his relocation, he was under contract with Everton, one of England’s most storied soccer clubs. After being dropped by Everton, Hunt was given a second chance when he moved out to Dubai, signing with the Go-Pro Sports Academy. Kirk Hilton, a former Manchester United academy player himself, is the mastermind behind the academy. That gave him the ideal platform to work on his craft.
On 11 July 2024, Hunt signed a two-year contract with Fleetwood Town, another League Two club. His performance throughout the 2023/24 season was nothing short of remarkable. He was the first-choice first-team bench—making that 21 times for all competitions. His high-impact performances turned the heads of UAE’s national selectors, giving him his first call-up to the international scene for the UAE national side.
On August 10, 2024, Hunt made another career move by joining UAE Pro League side Baniyas for an undisclosed fee. This transfer proved to be a turning point of his career. He wanted to go out with a bang in world football’s international scene.
Hunt was given his first cap to the UAE national team on 5 September 2024, coming on as a substitute in a friendly against Qatar. This was a really special game. It was a historic occasion for the Emiratis, who hadn’t beaten Qatar in a professional tournament for almost nine years.
“My debut was against Qatar, so that was a big game for the UAE and I don’t think they’d beat them in a professional competition in nine years,” – Mackenzie Hunt
Hunt’s debut was nothing short of miraculous. Though entering the game late, he wasted little time making his impact felt as he found Vela for an assist. In truth, the UAE’s dramatic 3-1 upset of the Asian Cup favorites wasn’t just Hunt’s crowning achievement.
“I came on late in the game, got an assist and we won 3-1, so that was a really proud moment for me and my family,” – Mackenzie Hunt
Hunt has already connected the nine caps for the national team of the UAE. He’s just as resolutely focused on his adopted homeland’s chances of making it back to the World Cup. The UAE, having only qualified once for the World Cup as recently as 1990, means this target is all the more poignant.
“I mean, it’s a dream for every young footballer to play in a World Cup, isn’t it? It’s a dream,” – Mackenzie Hunt
Hunt was proud of his time at Everton and the experiences he had in Dubai were invaluable. He was thankful that he was able to get training with professional players.
“I learned a lot from training with the first team every day and being around them all the time at the training ground,” – Mackenzie Hunt
He went on to stress the value of being mentored by seasoned pros throughout his developmental years.
“It was a really good experience learning off top professionals and just watching what they do day in, day out and taking that into my game,” – Mackenzie Hunt
Hunt cited particular positive examples as to how influential players such as James Tarkowski and Seamus Coleman were during his time at Everton.
“James Tarkowski and Seamus Coleman were the leaders of the group and they were really good with young lads. They’d always give you some advice or help you out and were really easy to get along with,” – Mackenzie Hunt
As Hunt continues to develop as a player, he remains focused on his ultimate aspiration: to represent the UAE in the World Cup. As any gifted artist, he knows the importance of this dream, not only for himself, but for the entire nation.
“The UAE have only ever qualified once and that was a long time ago, so it’s a big deal and it would be a massive achievement to qualify,” – Mackenzie Hunt
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