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Lebanon national football team facts for kids

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Lebanon
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) رجال الأرز
(The Cedars)
Association Lebanese Football Association (LFA)
(الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم)
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation WAFF (West Asia)
Head coach Miodrag Radulović
Captain Mohamad Haidar
Most caps Hassan Maatouk (123)
Top scorer Hassan Maatouk (26)
Home stadium Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium
FIFA code LBN
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current NR (7 February 2019)
Highest 77 (September 2018)
Lowest 178 (April–May 2011)
Elo ranking
Current 96 Decrease 4 (3 March 2019)
Highest 46 (27 April 1940)
Lowest 164 (28 July 2011)
First international
 Mandatory Palestine 5–1 Lebanon 
(Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine; 27 April 1940)
Biggest win
 Lebanon 11–1 Philippines 
(Tokyo, Japan; 28 September 1967)
Biggest defeat
 Iraq 8–0 Lebanon 
(Baghdad, Iraq; 25 November 1959)
 Qatar 8–0 Lebanon 
(Doha, Qatar; 27 March 1985)
Asian Cup
Appearances 3 (first in 2000)
Best result Group stage (2000, 2019, 2023)
Arab Cup
Appearances 8 (first in 1963)
Best result Third place (1963)
WAFF Championship
Appearances 7 (first in 2000)
Best result Group stage (2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2019)
Medal record
Men's football
Arab Cup
Bronze 1963 Lebanon
Arab Games
Bronze 1957 Beirut
Bronze 1997 Beirut
Mediterranean Games
Bronze 1959 Beirut

The Lebanon national football team represents Lebanon in football. It is controlled by the Lebanese Football Association (LFA). The team is known as "the Cedars" because of Lebanon's national tree.

Lebanon joined FIFA in 1936. Their first official game was in 1940 against Mandatory Palestine. The team has never played in the FIFA World Cup. However, they have played in the AFC Asian Cup three times. Their home stadium is the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut. They also play in other places like the Saida Municipal Stadium in Sidon.

In 2011, Lebanon almost made it to the 2014 World Cup. They won against South Korea but did not qualify. In the 2019 Asian Cup, they were close to reaching the knockout stage. But they were eliminated because of a tiebreaker rule. Lebanon also plays in other tournaments like the Arab Cup and the WAFF Championship. They have won third place in the Arab Cup (1963) and the Arab Games (1957 and 1997) when they hosted these events.

The team's main colors are red and white, just like the Lebanese flag. From 2016 to 2018, Lebanon had a great run. They went 16 games without losing. This helped them reach their highest FIFA ranking ever, 77th, in September 2018.

Team History: How Lebanon's Football Began

Early Days of Lebanese Football (1933–1947)

Lebanon was one of the first countries in the Middle East to create a football organization. On March 22, 1933, the Lebanese Football Association (LFA) was formed in Beirut. The LFA joined FIFA in 1936.

The first unofficial match for a Beirut team was in 1935. They played against a Romanian club and lost. In 1939, the Beirut team played against Syria's Damascus team. They lost the first game but won the second.

Camille Cordahi v Mandatory Palestine, 1940
Lebanese player Camille Cordahi scored Lebanon's first official international goal in 1940.

Lebanon's first official FIFA-recognized match was on April 27, 1940. They played against Mandatory Palestine and lost 5–1. Camille Cordahi scored Lebanon's first official goal in this game.

In 1942, Lebanon played their first official match against Syria. They lost 2–1. These early games helped build the foundation for Lebanese football.

Joining Regional Competitions (1953–1963)

In 1953, Lebanon played in their first international tournament. It was the Arab Games in Egypt. They finished last in their group but won their fifth-place match 9–1 against Palestine.

In 1956, Lebanon played a famous game against Hungary. They lost 4–1, and the famous player Ferenc Puskás scored two goals for Hungary.

In 1957, Lebanon hosted the Arab Games. They finished third after winning their group. They also hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1959.

Lebanon national football team 1963
Lebanon at the 1963 Arab Cup

Lebanon hosted the first Arab Cup in 1963. They finished third in the tournament. This was a big step for Lebanese football.

AFC Membership and More Games (1964–1971)

Lebanon joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1964. This meant they could play in Asian tournaments.

Joseph Abou Mrad vs Iraq, 1964 Arab Cup
Lebanon's captain, Joseph Abou Mrad (left), shaking hands with Iraq's captain before their match at the 1964 Arab Cup

They played in the 1964 Arab Cup and finished fourth. In 1966, they reached the semi-finals of the Arab Cup but finished fourth again.

In 1967, Lebanon played in the Olympic qualifiers. They had a huge 11–1 win against the Philippines. This is still Lebanon's biggest win ever! But they did not qualify for the Olympics.

Lebanon also tried to qualify for the 1972 Asian Cup. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Iraq.

Challenges During the Civil War (1979–1988)

Lebanon faced many difficulties during its civil war (1975–1990). The national team still tried to play in international games.

Devastated Stadium - 13371618444
The destroyed Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium during the Lebanese Civil War in 1982

In 1979, they played in the Asian Cup qualifiers but were eliminated. In 1984, they could not travel for the Asian Cup qualifiers due to safety reasons.

Lebanon also tried to qualify for the 1986 World Cup. They played four games but had to withdraw because of the war. All their results were later canceled by FIFA.

Rebuilding After the War (1993–2004)

After the civil war ended, Lebanon's team started to rebuild. In 1993, they played in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers. They did not qualify but showed good progress.

Campofutebol.svg

Sakr
Jadir
Mohamad
Marcílio
F. Antar
Taha (c)
Reda
R. Antar
Fernandes
Gilberto
Newton
Lebanon's starting line-up against Iran at the 2000 Asian Cup

Lebanon hosted the 2000 Asian Cup. This was their first time playing in the finals of this big tournament. They drew two games and lost one, finishing last in their group. Abbas Chahrour scored Lebanon's first goal in the competition.

In the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Lebanon scored 26 goals in six games. This was the most in their group.

World Cup Qualification Attempts (2006–2014)

Lebanon continued to try and qualify for major tournaments. In 2006, they had to withdraw from the Asian Cup qualifiers due to the 2006 Lebanon War.

In 2007, Lebanon won against India to reach the third round of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. But they finished last in their group.

In 2011, Lebanon made history in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. They beat Bangladesh and then had a huge 2–1 victory against South Korea at home. This win sent them to the final round of World Cup qualifiers for the first time ever!

Iran v Lebanon, 11 June 2013 05
Lebanon against Iran at the 2014 World Cup qualification

In the final round, they were in a tough group with teams like South Korea and Iran. They even beat Iran 1–0. However, some players were later banned for manipulating game results. Lebanon finished last in their group and did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

After failing to qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup, the LFA decided to bring in new players. They looked for players with Lebanese family who lived in other countries. This was to make the team stronger.

First Asian Cup Qualification and Unbeaten Run (2015–2019)

Miodrag Radulović Lebanon, 2019 AFC Asian Cup
Miodrag Radulović coached Lebanon between 2015 and 2019.

In 2015, Miodrag Radulović became the new coach. He led Lebanon in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. They finished second in their group, which meant they qualified for the 2019 Asian Cup! This was the first time Lebanon qualified for the Asian Cup on their own (they hosted it in 2000).

Under Radulović, Lebanon had an amazing 16-game unbeaten streak from 2016 to 2018. They won eight games and drew eight. This helped them reach their highest-ever FIFA ranking of 77th in September 2018.

Lebanon vs Saudi Arabi 20191201 08
Lebanon during the 2019 Asian Cup group stage match against Saudi Arabia

At the 2019 Asian Cup, Lebanon lost their first two games to Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In their last group game, they needed to win by four goals against North Korea to advance. They won 4–1, with two goals from Hilal El-Helwe. This was Lebanon's first-ever win at the Asian Cup! However, they were eliminated because of a tiebreaker rule based on yellow cards.

Recent Years and 2023 Asian Cup (2020–2024)

Iran v Lebanon, 29 March 2022 (Fars) 14
Lebanon against Iran at the 2022 World Cup qualification

In 2020, former captain Jamal Taha became the head coach. Lebanon qualified for the 2023 Asian Cup and the final round of 2022 World Cup qualification. In the World Cup qualifiers, they had a good start but finished last in their group.

In 2023, Lebanon played in friendly tournaments to prepare for the Asian Cup. They finished second in the Intercontinental Cup and third in the 2023 King's Cup.

Qatar v Lebanon (16)
Lebanon during the 2023 Asian Cup group stage match against Qatar

Miodrag Radulović returned as coach for the 2023 Asian Cup in January 2024. Lebanon played the opening game against hosts Qatar and lost 3–0. They drew 0–0 with China. In their final game against Tajikistan, they needed a win to move on. They scored first, but a red card meant they played with 10 men. Tajikistan scored twice late in the game, and Lebanon was knocked out.

Lebanon played in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers from November 2023 to June 2024. They finished third in their group, which means they will play in the final round of qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup. Their captain, Hassan Maatouk, retired after these games. He is the team's all-time top scorer and has played the most games.

Team Identity

Team Nickname

The Lebanon national football team is called "the Cedars." This nickname comes from the cedar tree, which is a very important national symbol of Lebanon.

Team Uniforms

Lebanon's kit over the years
Camille Cordahi wearing a white Lebanese shirt with black shorts
1940
Joseph Abou Mrad wearing a red Lebanese jersey with a green cedar in the center inside a white horizontal band
1966
Felix Michel Melki wearing a red Lebanon shirt with white collar and details
2019

The team's main colors are red and white. These colors are from the national flag of Lebanon. Sometimes, green is used for the goalkeeper's uniform. At home, they usually wear a red shirt, shorts, and socks with white details. Their away uniform is white with red details.

In their first unofficial game in 1935, they wore white shirts with the cedar tree symbol. In 1940, for their first FIFA game, they wore a white uniform with a black collar. In the 1960s, they had a red shirt with a white band and a green cedar tree.

For the 2000 Asian Cup, they wore red Adidas shirts. In the 2019 Asian Cup, their red uniforms were made by Capelli Sport. The cedar tree symbol was also on these shirts. Since 2023, their uniforms have been made by Kelme.

Home Stadiums

Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium 2018 - Beirut derby (Nejmeh fans)
The Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in 2018

The Lebanon national team plays its home games in different stadiums. The main one is the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut. It was built in 1957 and is the biggest stadium in Lebanon, with 49,500 seats.

The first game at this stadium was in 1957, and Lebanon won 1–0. This stadium was also a main venue for the 2000 Asian Cup. In 2011, over 40,000 fans watched Lebanon win 2–1 against South Korea there.

The team also plays at the Saida Municipal Stadium in Sidon, which holds 22,600 people. Other stadiums they use include the Tripoli Municipal Stadium and the Beirut Municipal Stadium.

Media and Documentaries

In 2022, FIFA and Netflix released a documentary series called Captains. It followed six national team captains during their 2022 World Cup qualification journeys. Hassan Maatouk, the captain of Lebanon, was one of the featured players.

Recent Matches and Future Games

As of July 23, 2025, the Lebanon national football team has played 403 official matches. They have won 116 games, drawn 105, and lost 182. They have scored 482 goals and let in 603 goals. Lebanon's biggest win was 11–1 against the Philippines in 1967. The team's longest winning streak is eight matches, and their longest unbeaten run is 16 games.

Here are some of their recent and upcoming matches:

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

4 September 2024 (2024-09-04) 2024 Merdeka Tournament SF Lebanon  1–0  Tajikistan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
16:30 UTC+8
  • Ayoub Goal 13'
Stadium: Bukit Jalil National Stadium
Attendance: 460
Referee: Mohamad Kamil Zakaria Bin Ismail (Malaysia)
8 September 2024 (2024-09-08) 2024 Merdeka Tournament Final Lebanon  0–1  Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
21:00 UTC+8
  • Morales Goal 33'
Stadium: Bukit Jalil National Stadium
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Thoriq Alkatiri (Indonesia)
12 October 2024 (2024-10-12) 2024 VFF Tri-Nations Series Lebanon  Cancelled  India Nam Dinh, Vietnam
18:00 UTC+7 Stadium: Thiên Trường Stadium
Note: The tournament was cancelled due to Lebanon withdrawing following the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon
15 October 2024 (2024-10-15) 2024 VFF Tri-Nations Series Vietnam  Cancelled  Lebanon Nam Dinh, Vietnam
18:00 UTC+7 Stadium: Thiên Trường Stadium
Note: The tournament was cancelled due to Lebanon withdrawing following the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon
14 November 2024 (2024-11-14) Friendly Thailand  0–0  Lebanon Rangsit, Thailand
20:00 UTC+7 Stadium: Thammasat Stadium
Attendance: 5,816
Referee: Tam Ping Wun (Hong Kong)
19 November 2024 (2024-11-19) Friendly Myanmar  2–3  Lebanon Yangon, Myanmar
17:00 UTC+6:30
  • Thiha Zaw Goal 42'
  • Maung Maung Lwin Goal 57'
  • Fakhro Goal 37'
  • Merheg Goal 75'84'
Stadium: Thuwunna Stadium
Referee: Lê Vũ Linh (Vietnam)
12 December 2024 (2024-12-12) Friendly Kuwait  1–2  Lebanon Doha, Qatar
18:00 UTC+3
  • Bouresli Goal 11'
  • El Zein Goal 76'
  • Merheg Goal 90'
Stadium: Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium
15 December 2024 (2024-12-15) Friendly Kuwait  0–2  Lebanon Doha, Qatar
18:00 UTC+3
  • Kassas Goal 4'
  • Khamis Goal 41'
Stadium: Suheim bin Hamad Stadium

2025 Matches

20 March 2025 (2025-03-20) Friendly Lebanon  4–0  East Timor Al Khor, Qatar
21:00 UTC+3
  • Osman Goal 57'
  • Budib Goal 85'
  • Merheg Goal 88'90'
Stadium: Al-Khor SC Stadium
25 March 2025 (2025-03-25) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Lebanon  5–0  Brunei Al-Wakrah, Qatar
21:30 UTC+3
  • Fakhro Goal 5'28'
  • Merheg Goal 21'
  • Chakroun Goal 33'
  • Haidar Goal 90'
Stadium: Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium
Attendance: 282
Referee: Venikatesh Ramachandran (India)
Note: Lebanon was required to play all their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Israel–Hezbollah conflict.
28 May 2025 (2025-05-28) Friendly Oman  1–0  Lebanon Muscat, Oman
20:00 UTC+4
  • Al-Sabhi Goal 4'
Stadium: Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex
10 June 2025 (2025-06-10) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Yemen  0–0  Lebanon Sulaibikhat, Kuwait
20:30 UTC+3 Stadium: Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Stadium
Attendance: 1,512
Referee: Mahmood Salim Al Majarafi (Bahrain)
Note: Yemen was required to play their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Yemeni civil war.
September 2025 (2025-09) Friendly tournament Indonesia  v  Lebanon Jakarta, Indonesia
--:-- 
September 2025 (2025-09) Friendly tournament Kuwait  v  Lebanon Jakarta, Indonesia
--:-- 
9 October 2025 (2025-10-09) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Lebanon  v  Bhutan TBD
--:--  Stadium: TBD
Note: Lebanon will be required to play all their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Israel–Hezbollah conflict.
14 October 2025 (2025-10-14) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Bhutan  v  Lebanon Thimphu, Bhutan
--:--  Stadium: Changlimithang Stadium
18 November 2025 (2025-11-18) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Brunei  v  Lebanon Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
--:--  Stadium: Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium
25–26 November 2025 2025 Arab Cup qualification Lebanon  v  Sudan Qatar
--:-- 

2026 Matches

31 March 2026 (2026-03-31) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Lebanon  v  Yemen TBD
--:--  Stadium: TBD
Note: Lebanon will be required to play all their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Israel–Hezbollah conflict.

Coaching Staff

Miodrag Radulović Zob Ahan, 2020
Miodrag Radulović has been Lebanon's head coach since 2023
Position Name
Head coach Montenegro Miodrag Radulović
Team manager Lebanon Rashid Nassar
Assistant coach Montenegro Srđan Kljajević
Goalkeeper coach Montenegro Mileta Radulović
Fitness coach Montenegro Nikola Vukčević
Administrator Lebanon Fouad Balhawan
Physiotherapist Lebanon Elie Metni
Media officer Lebanon Charbel Krayem
Equipment officer Lebanon Shafiq Fares

Players

Current Squad

The following 25 players were chosen for the friendly match against Oman and the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Yemen, in May and June 2025.

Information correct as of June 30, 2025.
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Antoine Al Douaihy (1999-03-18) 18 March 1999 (age 26) 1 0 Lebanon Nejmeh
21 1GK Mostafa Matar (1995-09-10) 10 September 1995 (age 29) 37 0 Lebanon Safa
23 1GK Ali Sabeh (1994-06-24) 24 June 1994 (age 31) 9 0 Lebanon Ahed

2 2DF Mohammad El Hayek (2000-02-19) 19 February 2000 (age 25) 16 0 Lebanon Safa
3 2DF Khalil Khamis (1995-01-12) 12 January 1995 (age 30) 15 1 Lebanon Safa
4 2DF Mohamad Safwan (2003-03-10) 10 March 2003 (age 22) 7 0 Lebanon Nejmeh
5 2DF Nassar Nassar (1992-01-01) 1 January 1992 (age 33) 32 0 Lebanon Ansar
6 2DF Hussein Zein (1995-01-27) 27 January 1995 (age 30) 44 0 Lebanon Safa
18 2DF Kassem El Zein (1990-12-02) 2 December 1990 (age 34) 55 2 Lebanon Nejmeh
2DF Hasan Farhat (2004-09-21) 21 September 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Lebanon Ahed

8 3MF Ali Tneich (1992-07-16) 16 July 1992 (age 33) 29 1 Lebanon Ansar
10 3MF Mohamad Haidar (captain) (1989-11-08) 8 November 1989 (age 35) 104 6 Lebanon Ahed
11 3MF Majed Osman (1994-06-09) 9 June 1994 (age 31) 14 2 Free agent
12 3MF Hasan Srour (2001-12-18) 18 December 2001 (age 23) 21 0 Iraq Al-Hudood
13 3MF Ahmad Kheir El Dine (1995-07-07) 7 July 1995 (age 30) 8 0 Lebanon Ansar
15 3MF Jihad Ayoub (1995-03-30) 30 March 1995 (age 30) 23 1 Lebanon Safa
16 3MF Walid Shour (1996-06-10) 10 June 1996 (age 29) 33 0 Free agent

7 4FW Zein Farran (1999-07-21) 21 July 1999 (age 26) 10 0 Lebanon Ahed
9 4FW Malek Fakhro (1997-12-14) 14 December 1997 (age 27) 8 3 Germany Hallescher FC
14 4FW Gabriel Bitar (1998-08-23) 23 August 1998 (age 26) 12 0 Canada York United
17 4FW Karim Mekkaoui (2001-04-19) 19 April 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Cyprus Omonia Aradippou
19 4FW Daniel Kuri (1999-01-22) 22 January 1999 (age 26) 15 0 Greece Panetolikos
20 4FW Samy Merheg (2006-12-06) 6 December 2006 (age 18) 8 6 Colombia Deportivo Pereira
22 4FW Ali Kassas (2003-02-25) 25 February 2003 (age 22) 6 1 Lebanon Safa

Recent Call-ups

These players were part of the national team in the last 12 months but are not in the current squad.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Shaker Wehbe (1997-01-15) 15 January 1997 (age 28) 0 0 Lebanon Ahed v.  Brunei; March 25, 2025
GK Mehdi Khalil (1991-09-19) 19 September 1991 (age 33) 58 0 Lebanon Ahed v.  Kuwait; December 15, 2024

DF Pedro Budib (2004-04-07) 7 April 2004 (age 21) 2 1 Mexico Pachuca U23 v.  Brunei; March 25, 2025
DF Mohamad Baker El Housseini (2002-12-18) 18 December 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Indonesia Borneo Samarinda v.  Kuwait; December 15, 2024
DF Hussein Sharafeddine (1997-10-13) 13 October 1997 (age 27) 2 0 Lebanon Safa v.  Kuwait; December 15, 2024
DF Jad Smaira (2003-11-09) 9 November 2003 (age 21) 2 0 Cyprus Achyronas-Onisilos v.  Kuwait; December 15, 2024
DF George Felix Melki (1994-07-23) 23 July 1994 (age 31) 33 1 Lebanon Safa 2024 Merdeka Tournament

MF Hassan Kourani (1995-01-22) 22 January 1995 (age 30) 12 1 Oman Al-Shabab v.  Brunei; March 25, 2025
MF Rabih Ataya (1989-07-16) 16 July 1989 (age 36) 56 5 Lebanon Nejmeh v.  Kuwait; December 15, 2024
MF Bassel Jradi (1993-07-06) 6 July 1993 (age 32) 26 3 Cyprus AEL Limassol v.  Myanmar; November 19, 2024

FW Karim Darwich (1998-11-02) 2 November 1998 (age 26) 31 3 Iraq Duhok v.  Oman; May 28, 2025
FW Omar Chaaban (1994-01-03) 3 January 1994 (age 31) 22 1 England AFC Wimbledon v.  Brunei; March 25, 2025
FW Husseyn Chakroun (2004-11-10) 10 November 2004 (age 20) 4 1 Germany Hannover 96 v.  Brunei; March 25, 2025
FW Leonardo Farah Shahin (2003-08-10) 10 August 2003 (age 21) 4 0 Sweden Falkenberg v.  Kuwait; December 15, 2024
FW Khalil Bader (1999-07-27) 27 July 1999 (age 25) 12 2 Kuwait Al-Yarmouk 2024 Merdeka Tournament

Player Records

Players in bold are still active with Lebanon.

Most Games Played

Hassan Maatouk with a fan 2019
Hassan Maatouk has played the most games for Lebanon and is also the top goalscorer.
Rank Player Caps Goals Years Played
1 Hassan Maatouk 123 26 2006–2024
2 Mohamad Haidar 104 6 2011–present
3 Abbas Ahmad Atwi 88 8 2002–2016
4 Roda Antar 83 20 1998–2016
5 Youssef Mohamad 81 3 1999–2016
6 Nader Matar 71 4 2012–2024
Jamal Taha 71 12 1993–2000
8 Walid Ismail 69 1 2010–2019
9 Nour Mansour 67 3 2010–2024
10 Vardan Ghazaryan 66 21 1995–2001

Top Goal Scorers

Vartan Ghazarian
Vardan Ghazarian was Lebanon's top scorer for many years.
Rank Player Goals Caps Average Years Scored
1 Hassan Maatouk (list) 26 123 0.21 2006–2024
2 Vardan Ghazaryan 21 66 0.32 1995–2001
3 Roda Antar 20 83 0.24 1998–2016
4 Mohamad Ghaddar 19 46 0.41 2006–2017
5 Levon Altounian 18 18 1 1956–1967
6 Haitham Zein 17 50 0.34 1997–2004
7 Mahmoud El Ali 12 46 0.26 2007–2012
Jamal Taha 12 71 0.17 1993–2000
9 Mardik Tchaparian 10 10 1 1956–1963
Joseph Abou Mrad 10 21 0.48 1953–1967

Tournament Records

Overview
Event 1st place 2nd place 3rd place
World Cup 0 0 0
Asian Cup 0 0 0
Arab Cup 0 0 1
WAFF Championship 0 0 0
Summer Olympics 0 0 0
Asian Games 0 0 0
Arab Games 0 0 2
Mediterranean Games 0 0 1

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Lebanon v South Korea, 14 November 2019 19
Lebanon's match against South Korea at the 2022 World Cup qualifiers

Lebanon first tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 1986. But they had to withdraw because of the civil war. Their first full qualification campaign was in 1994. Since then, they have tried to qualify for every World Cup.

Lebanon reached the final round of World Cup qualification for the first time in 2014. They beat Bangladesh and then had a historic 2–1 win against South Korea. This sent them to the final round. In that round, they finished last in their group and did not qualify.

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place  

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Host Round Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Ref.
1930 to 1982 Did not enter Did not enter
1986  Mexico Withdrew Withdrew
1990  Italy Did not enter Did not enter
1994  United States Did not qualify 3rd of 5 8 2 4 2 8 9
1998  France 2nd of 3 4 1 1 2 4 7
2002  South Korea
 Japan
2nd of 4 6 4 1 1 26 5
2006  Germany 2nd of 4 6 3 2 1 11 5
2010  South Africa First round win, 4th of 4 8 1 1 6 9 17
2014  Brazil Second round win, 2nd of 4, 5th of 5 13 5 2 6 16 22
2018  Russia 2nd of 5 8 3 2 3 12 6
2022  Qatar 2nd of 5, 6th of 6 16 4 4 8 16 21
2026  Canada
 Mexico
 United States
To be determined To be determined
Total N/A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/22 69 23 17 29 102 92

AFC Asian Cup

Qatar v Lebanon, 9 January 2019
Lebanon's match against Qatar at the 2019 Asian Cup

Lebanon first tried to qualify for the Asian Cup in 1972. They reached the semi-finals but lost. They did win a third-place match.

Lebanon played in the Asian Cup finals for the first time in 2000 because they hosted the event. They drew two games and lost one, finishing last in their group.

In 2019, Lebanon qualified for the Asian Cup finals on their own for the first time. They lost their first two games. In their last group game, they won 4–1 against North Korea. This was their first-ever win at the Asian Cup! However, they were eliminated because of a tiebreaker rule based on yellow cards.

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place  

AFC Asian Cup Qualification
Year Host Round Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Ref.
1956 to 1968 Did not enter Did not enter
1972  Thailand Did not qualify 2nd of 3, semi-final loss 3 1 0 2 4 7
1976  Iran Withdrew Withdrew
1980  Kuwait Did not qualify 3rd of 4 3 1 1 1 2 1
1984  Singapore Withdrew Withdrew
1988  Qatar Did not enter Did not enter
1992  Japan
1996  United Arab Emirates Did not qualify 2nd of 3 4 2 1 1 7 6
2000  Lebanon Group stage 3 0 2 1 3 7 Squad Qualified as hosts
2004  China Did not qualify 3rd of 4 6 1 1 4 2 8
2007  Indonesia
 Malaysia
 Thailand
 Vietnam
Withdrew Withdrew
2011  Qatar Did not qualify Preliminary round win, 4th of 4 8 2 1 5 8 14
2015  Australia 3rd of 4 6 2 2 2 12 14
2019  United Arab Emirates Group stage 3 1 0 2 4 5 Squad 2nd of 5, 1st of 4 14 8 3 3 26 10
2023  Qatar Qualified 2nd of 5 6 3 1 2 11 8
Total Group stage 6 1 2 3 7 12 3/18 50 20 10 20 72 68

FIFA Arab Cup

Lebanon national football team 1966
Lebanon at the 1966 Arab Cup

Lebanon has played in most Arab Cup tournaments. They hosted the first Arab Cup in 1963 and finished third.

They also finished fourth in the 1964 and 1966 Arab Cups. Since then, they have not made it past the group stage.

Lebanon's FIFA Arab Cup record Qualification record
Host nation(s)
and year
Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Outcome Pld W D L GF GA Ref
Lebanon 1963 Third place 3rd of 5 4 2 0 2 13 4 Squad Qualified as invitees
Kuwait 1964 Fourth place 4th of 5 4 1 1 2 4 5 Squad Qualified as invitees
Iraq 1966 4th of 9 6 3 1 2 11 10 Squad Qualified as invitees
Saudi Arabia 1985 Did not participate Withdrew
Jordan 1988 Group stage 6th of 10 4 1 2 1 2 4 Squad 2nd of 3 2 0 1 1 1 2
Syria 1992 Did not participate No qualifying tournament
Qatar 1998 Group stage 9th of 12 2 0 1 1 1 4 Squad 3rd of 4 3 1 0 2 3 4
Kuwait 2002 8th of 10 4 1 1 2 5 7 Squad Qualified as invitees
2009 Cancelled 2nd of 4 3 1 2 0 4 0
Saudi Arabia 2012 Group stage 10th of 10 3 0 1 2 1 4 Squad Qualified as invitees
Qatar 2021 Group stage 10th of 16 3 1 0 2 1 3 Squad Win 1 1 0 0 1 0
Total Best: third place 8/10 27 8 7 12 37 38 Total 9 3 3 3 9 6
     Champions       Runners-up       Third place Home venue

WAFF Championship

Lebanon has played in most WAFF Championship tournaments. They have never made it past the group stage. Their first time in this tournament was in 2000.

Lebanon's WAFF Championship record
Host nation(s)
and year
Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Ref
Jordan 2000 Group stage 5th of 8 3 1 1 1 3 2 Squad
Syria 2002 5th of 6 2 0 0 2 0 3 Squad
Iran 2004 6th of 6 2 0 0 2 1 7 Squad
Jordan 2007 6th of 6 2 0 0 2 0 4 Squad
Iran 2008 Did not participate
Jordan 2010
Kuwait 2012 Group stage 9th of 12 3 1 0 2 2 3 Squad
Qatar 2013 8th of 9 2 0 1 1 0 2 Squad
Iraq 2019 7th of 9 4 1 1 2 3 4 Squad
United Arab Emirates 2023 To be determined Squad
Total Best: group stage 8/10 18 3 3 12 9 25
     Champions       Runners-up       Third place/semi-finalists   Home venue

Summer Olympic Games

Lebanon's senior team has never qualified for the Summer Olympics. They tried to qualify in 1960, 1968, and 1972 but did not succeed. Since 1992, the Olympic football tournament is only for teams with players under 23 years old.

Lebanon's Summer Olympic Games record Qualification record
Host nation,
city and year
Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Outcome Pld W D L GF GA Ref
France Paris 1900 Did not participate Did not participate
United States St. Louis 1904
United Kingdom London 1908
Sweden Stockholm 1912
Belgium Antwerp 1920
France Paris 1924
Netherlands Amsterdam 1928
Nazi Germany Berlin 1936
United Kingdom London 1948
Finland Helsinki 1952
Australia Melbourne 1956
Italy Rome 1960 Withdrew 3rd of 3 4 0 0 4 0 15
Japan Tokyo 1964 Withdrew
Mexico Mexico City 1968 Did not qualify 3rd of 6 5 2 1 2 18 9
Germany Munich 1972 First round loss 3 1 0 2 2 3
Canada Montreal 1976 Withdrew Withdrew
Soviet Union Moscow 1980 Did not participate Did not participate
United States Los Angeles 1984 Withdrew Withdrew
South Korea Seoul 1988 Did not participate Did not participate
1992–present
See Lebanon national under-23 football team See Lebanon national under-23 football team
Total Best: N/A 0/19 Total 12 3 1 8 20 27
     Gold       Silver       Bronze   Home venue

Asian Games

Lebanon's senior team only played in the Asian Games once, in 1998. They won one game but did not make it to the knockout round.

Lebanon's Asian Games record
Host nation,
city and year
Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Ref
India New Delhi 1951 Did not participate
Philippines Manila 1954
Japan Tokyo 1958
Indonesia Jakarta 1962
Thailand Bangkok 1966
Thailand Bangkok 1970
Iran Tehran 1974
Thailand Bangkok 1978
India New Delhi 1982
South Korea Seoul 1986
China Beijing 1990
Japan Hiroshima 1994
Thailand Bangkok 1998 Group stage 12th of 23 5 2 0 3 9 7 Squad
2002–present
See Lebanon national under-23 football team
Total Best: group stage 1/13 5 2 0 3 9 7
     Gold       Silver       Bronze Home venue

Arab Games

Lebanon played in the first Arab Games in 1953. They hosted the 1957 Arab Games and finished third. They also came third in 1997, again as hosts.

Lebanon's Arab Games record
Host nation,
city and year
Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Ref
Egypt Alexandria 1953 Group stage 5th of 6 3 1 1 1 1 4 Squad
Lebanon Beirut 1957 Third place 3rd of 8 5 2 2 1 10 6 Squad
Morocco Casablanca 1961 Fourth place 4th of 6 5 2 0 3 13 9 Squad
United Arab Republic Cairo 1965 Group stage 7th of 10 4 1 1 2 4 7 Squad
Syria Damascus 1976 Did not participate
Morocco Rabat 1985
Syria Aleppo 1992
Lebanon Beirut 1997 Third place 3rd of 8 5 2 2 1 9 7 Squad
Jordan Amman 1999 Second stage 5th of 11 5 2 1 2 6 9 Squad
Egypt Cairo 2007 Did not participate
Qatar Doha 2011
2023–present
See Lebanon national under-23 football team
Total Best: third place 6/11 27 10 7 10 43 42
     Champions       Runners-up       Third place Home venue

Mediterranean Games

Lebanon first played in the Mediterranean Games in 1959, when they hosted it. They finished last. They also played in 1963 and 1987 but did not get past the group stage.

Lebanon's Mediterranean Games record
Host nation,
city and year
Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Ref
Egypt Alexandria 1951 Did not participate
Spain Barcelona 1955
Lebanon Beirut 1959 Third place 3rd of 3 4 0 0 4 1 2 Squad
Italy Naples 1963 Group stage 7th of 9 4 1 0 3 2 7 Squad
Tunisia Tunis 1967 Did not participate
Turkey İzmir 1971
Algeria Algiers 1975
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Split 1979
Morocco Casablanca 1983
Syria Latakia 1987 Group stage 6th of 8 3 0 1 2 1 7 Squad
1991–present
See Lebanon national under-20 football team
Total Best: third place 3/10 11 1 1 9 4 16
     Gold       Silver       Bronze Home venue

Other Tournaments

Lebanon won their first unofficial tournament, the 1964 Tripoli Fair Tournament, in 1964. They also finished third in the 1998 Friendship Tournament and the 2009 King's Cup. In 2023, they were runners-up in the Intercontinental Cup and third in the 2023 King's Cup. In 2024, they were runners-up in the 2024 Merdeka Tournament.

Tournament Round Ref
Libya 1964 Tripoli Fair Tournament Champions
Syria 1974 Kuneitra Cup Group stage
South Korea 1975 President's Cup Group stage
South Korea 1978 President's Cup Group stage
Kuwait 1989 Peace and Friendship Cup Group stage
United Arab Emirates 1998 Friendship Tournament Third place
Thailand 2009 King's Cup Third place
India 2009 Nehru Cup Group stage
India 2023 Intercontinental Cup Runners-up
India 2023 SAFF Championship Semi-finals
Thailand 2023 King's Cup Third place
Malaysia 2024 Merdeka Tournament Runners-up
     Champions       Runners-up       Third place

Honours

Regional Tournaments

  • Arab Cup
    • 3 Third place (1): 1963
  • Arab Games
    • 3 Bronze medal (2): 1957, 1997
  • Mediterranean Games
    • 3 Bronze medal (1): 1959

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol del Líbano para niños

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Lebanon national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.