The stadium is used mostly for football matches,[5] and is one of the home grounds of Al Ain FC.[6] The stadium underwent a renovation in 2002 and increased its capacity to 12,000 people and as of the 2006/2007 season all the Al Ain team matches are played in this stadium. The stadium went through another significant upgrade and renovation, to prepare for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, hosted in the UAE.[citation needed]
2019 AFC Asian Cup
Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium hosted six games of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, including a Round of 16 match.