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Syria national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Syria women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Syria
Nickname(s) Nosour Qasioun
(Arabic: نُسُور قَاسِيُون, lit. 'Qasioun eagles')
Association Syrian Football Association (SFA)
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation WAFF (West Asia)
UAFA (Arab world)
Head coach José Lana
Captain Omar Al Somah
Most caps Maher Al-Sayed (109)
Top scorer Firas Al-Khatib (36)
Home stadium Aleppo International Stadium
FIFA code SYR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 83 Decrease 9 (7 February 2019)
Highest 68 (1 July 2018)
Lowest 152 (September 2014, March 2015)
Elo ranking
Current 76 Decrease 17 (3 March 2019)
Highest 53 (October 1974)
Lowest 125 (September 1984)
First international
 Lebanon 1–2 Syria 
(Beirut, Lebanon; 19 April 1942)
Biggest win
 Syria 13–0 Muscat and Oman
(Cairo, Egypt; 6 September 1965)
Biggest defeat
 Greece 8–0 Syria 
(Athens, Greece; 25 November 1949)
 Egypt 8–0 Syria 
(Alexandria, Egypt; 16 October 1951)
Asian Cup
Appearances 7 (first in 1980)
Best result Round of 16 (2023)
Arab Cup
Appearances 7 (first in 1963)
Best result Runners-up (1963, 1966, 1988)
WAFF Championship
Appearances 8 (first in 2000)
Best result Champions (2012)
Medal record
WAFF Championship
Gold 2012 Kuwait Team
Silver 2000 Jordan Team
Silver 2004 Iran Team
Bronze 2007 Jordan Team
Bronze 2008 Iran Team
FIFA Arab Cup
Silver 1963 Lebanon Team
Silver 1966 Iraq Team
Silver 1988 Jordan Team
Palestine Cup of Nations
Silver 1973 Libya Team
Mediterranean Games
Gold 1987 Latakia Team
Bronze 1951 Alexandria Team
West Asian Games
Silver 1997 Tehran Team
Silver 2005 Doha Team
Bronze 2002 Kuwait Team
Arab Games
Gold 1957 Beirut Team
Silver 1953 Alexandria Team
Silver 1997 Beirut Team
Bronze 1976 Damascus Team

The Syria national football team represents Syria in international football games. It is controlled by the Syrian Arab Federation for Football, which is the main group for football in Syria. The team is often called Nosour Qasioun, meaning "Qasioun Eagles," after Mount Qasioun near Damascus.

Syria has never played in the FIFA World Cup finals. However, they did get very close in 2018, reaching the fourth round of qualifying. Due to a difficult situation in their country, the team has not been able to play home games in Syria since December 2010.

Over the years, Syria has won several regional tournaments. These include the 2012 WAFF Championship, the 1957 Arab Games, the 1987 Mediterranean Games, and the 2024 Intercontinental Cup.

History of Syrian Football

Early Years: 1936 to 1969

The Syrian Football Federation was started in 1936. This was 10 years before Syria became independent from France in 1946. The federation joined FIFA in 1937 and the AFC in 1969.

Syria played its first official game against Lebanon on April 19, 1942. The "Qasioun Eagles" won that game 2–1. Their first official World Cup qualifying match was in Ankara against Turkey on November 20, 1949. They lost 7–0. Even with this loss, Syria was one of the first teams in the region to try to qualify for the 1950 FIFA World Cup.

At the 1951 Mediterranean Games, Syria had a big loss against Egypt, losing 8–0.

Ferenc Meszaros
Francisc Mészáros, who became the second coach of the Syrian national team in 1954.

Syria's first big success was winning a silver medal at the 1953 Arab Games. They lost to Egypt in the final. In 1957, at the Arab Games in Beirut, Syria won the gold medal. They beat Tunisia 3–1 in the final.

For a few years, from 1958 to 1961, the Syrian team joined with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic national football team. However, FIFA only counts these records for Egypt. Syria also reached the finals of the Arab Cup twice in the 1960s, but lost both times.

In 1966, Syria joined a boycott of the World Cup qualifiers. This was because FIFA only gave one spot to teams from Asia and Africa.

Success in Arab Competitions: The 1970s

In the 1970s, Syria often played in the Palestine Cup, which was like a replacement for the Arab Cup. In 1973, they reached the final but lost to Tunisia 4–0.

The "Qasioun Eagles" also did well in the 1974 Kuneitra Cup. They made it to the semifinals and beat Tunisia 3–1. But they lost in the final to Morocco after a penalty shootout.

In 1976, Damascus hosted the Arab Games. The Syrian team won bronze medals in the football tournament.

Syrian Football Improves: 1980 to 1996

The Syrian team got to play in the 1980 Olympics. This happened because Iran pulled out of the games. Even though Syria lost some games, they gained valuable experience. They even managed a 0–0 draw against a strong Spain team.

Syria played in three Asian Nations Cups in the 1980s. They finished third in their group in 1980 and 1988, and fourth in 1984. They also reached the final of the Arab Nations Cup in 1988, but lost to Iraq.

For the 1986 World Cup qualifiers, Syria came very close to making history. They won their first round group and beat Bahrain. But they lost to Iraq in the final qualifying round.

Valeriy Yaremchenko
Valeriy Yaremchenko, the coach who led Syria to victory at the 1987 Mediterranean Games

One of Syria's biggest wins in the 1980s was winning the 1987 Mediterranean Games in Latakia. They even beat the France B team 2–1.

In 1992, Syria hosted the 1992 Arab Games, which included the 1992 Arab Cup. The Syrian team finished fourth in this tournament.

For the 1994 World Cup qualifiers, Syria led their group after beating Taiwan and Oman. However, draws with Iran stopped them from moving to the next round.

In the 1996 Asian Cup, Syria beat Uzbekistan but lost to Japan and China. They finished third in their group and just missed out on the knockout stage.

Hope and Disappointment: 1996 to 2007

Chadi02
Chadi Cheikh Merai in 1997

At the 1997 Arab Games, Syria reached the final but lost to Jordan 1–0.

Syria had one of its biggest wins ever on June 4, 1997, beating the Maldives 12–0. They repeated this score five days later. These games were part of the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, where Syria was eliminated by Iran.

The Syrian team reached the finals of the West Asian Football Championship twice, in 2000 and 2004. They lost both times to Iran.

Azadi Tehran
Syria playing against Iran in a friendly match in 2006.

For the 2002 World Cup, Syria was beaten by Oman in their qualifying group. In the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, they failed to reach the third stage after losing to Bahrain and Kyrgyzstan.

A view of ONGC Nehru Football Cup between India- Syria, in New Delhi on August 29, 2007
Syria playing against India in the 2007 Nehru Cup.

In 2007, the national team played in the 2007 Nehru Cup. They won all their group games and reached the final. Famous Syrian players Zyad Chaabo and Maher Al-Sayed scored many goals. However, they lost the final 1–0 to India.

Big Achievements: 2007 to 2012

Fajr Ibrahim
Fajr Ibrahim led Syria twice to the semifinals of the West Asian Cup.

In 2007, Syria reached the semifinals of the WAFF Cup. A year later, in the 2008 WAFF Cup, they also made it to the semifinals but lost to Iran.

At the 2009 Nehru Cup, Syria again won their group. They reached the final but lost to India in a penalty shootout.

For the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Syria beat Afghanistan and Indonesia. They just missed out on the next round because of a small goal difference.

SYR-JPN 2011-01-13
Syrian line-up against Japan at the 2011 Asian Cup.

The Syrian team qualified for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. This was their first time in the tournament since 1996. They didn't lose any games in the qualifiers. In the main tournament, they were knocked out in the group stage after losing to Jordan and Japan, but they did beat Saudi Arabia.

Later, Syria was disqualified from the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. This happened because they used a player who was not allowed to play.

In December 2012, Syria won its first major trophy. They beat Iraq in the final of the West Asia Cup with a score of 1–0. This was a historic win for the team.

Challenges and Setbacks: 2013 to 2016

In 2013, the Syrian team had to pull out of the WAFF Cup. This was due to the difficult situation in Syria. For several years, the team could not play games in their home stadiums.

Syria national football team in Tehran - 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
The Syria national football team in Tehran during the 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification.

Syria did not qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. They finished third in their qualifying group. In 2016, Syria played in the King's Cup. They lost in the semifinals but won the third-place match against the United Arab Emirates.

World Cup Qualifiers: Syria's Best Performance in 2018

Because of the situation in Syria, the team was not allowed to play home games in their own country. Malaysia stepped in at the last minute to host all of Syria's home games for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

Syria finished second in their group in the second qualifying round, behind Japan. This meant they moved on to the third round and also qualified for the next Asian Cup.

Syria Draw with Iran in 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification Match-8
A match between Syria and Iran during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

In the third round, Syria was in a tough group with Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, China, and Qatar. On September 5, 2017, Syria made history by qualifying for the play-offs of a World Cup for the first time ever. They finished third in their group, thanks to a last-minute draw against Iran (2–2).

This was the best performance by the "Qasioun Eagles" in World Cup qualifiers. This exciting moment even brought a temporary pause to the conflict in Syria. Giant screens were set up in cities for people to watch the important match against Iran.

Syria vs. Australia: A Close Call

On October 5, 2017, Syria drew 1–1 with Australia. Omar Al Somah scored a penalty in the 85th minute to tie the game.

In the second match, five days later in Sydney, Al Somah scored early for Syria. But Tim Cahill quickly equalized for Australia. The game went into extra time. Cahill scored again in the 109th minute, ending Syria's dream of going to the World Cup. Even though Syria had a player sent off, they fought hard. Al Somah almost scored a tying goal from a free kick in the last moments, but it hit the post.

Asian Cup: A Missed Chance in 2019

At the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates, Syria drew 0–0 with Palestine in their first game. However, they failed to get out of the group stage after losing to Australia (2–3) and Jordan (0–2).

SYR-PLE 20190106 Asian Cup 3
2019 Asia Cup, Syria playing against Palestine.

The Syrian coach, Bernd Stange, was replaced by Fajr Ibrahim. But the team's performance did not improve much. They suffered a tough loss to Australia after a goal in injury time, which confirmed Syria's exit from the tournament.

Recent Years: 2019 to Present

In the qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Syria started strong. They won against the Philippines (5–2), Maldives (2–1), and Guam (4–0). They also had an important 2–1 win against China.

Nabil Maâloul 2018
Nabil Maâloul, Syria's head coach from 2020 to 2021.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last group matches were played in 2021. Syria won their remaining games against the Maldives and Guam, securing first place in their group. This meant they qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup and moved to the third stage of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Omar Kharbin
Omar Khribin, named Asian Footballer of the Year in 2017, is a key player for Syria.

After some difficult results in the next qualifying phase, including losses to Iran and South Korea, and a defeat to Lebanon, the coach Nizar Mahrous was fired.

At the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, Syria showed good form. They lost their first match but then had a surprising 2–0 win over Tunisia. However, they lost their last group match and finished third in their group.

In their final World Cup qualifying matches, Syria lost to the UAE and South Korea. The coach was again replaced. The new coach, Ghassan Maatouk, led the team to a 3–0 win against Lebanon and a draw with Iraq. Syria finished fifth in their group.

2023 AFC Asian Cup: Making History

Syria qualified for their seventh AFC Asian Cup in 2023. This time, they made history by reaching the knockout stage for the first time ever! They were one of the best third-place teams in the group stage.

In the Round of 16, Syria played against Iran. The game ended in a 1–1 draw after extra time. Even though Iran had a player sent off, Syria lost in a penalty shootout. It was a very close and exciting match.

Syrian Football Stadiums

Syria has several stadiums where the national team has played its home games.

Home stadiums list
Image Stadium Capacity Location Last match
Aleppo International Stadium, day view, 2009 (1).jpg Aleppo International Stadium 53,200 Aleppo v   Vietnam
(18 November 2009; (2011 Asian Cup Q)
Abbasiyyin stadium from a distance.jpg Abbasiyyin Stadium 30,000 Damascus v   Iraq
(22 December 2010; Friendly)
Al-Hamadaniya stad Aleppo1.jpg Al-Hamadaniah Stadium 15,000 Aleppo v   South Korea
(22 February 2006; (2007 Asian Cup Q)
Jalaa stad.jpg Al-Jalaa Stadium 10,000 Damascus v   [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]]
(26 March 2004; Friendly)

Team Information

Rivalries: Who Syria Plays Against

SYR-PLE 20190106 Asian Cup 1
Syrian fans before the match with Palestine.

Syria's biggest football rivals are usually teams from the Levant region. These include Lebanon and Jordan.

Syria vs. Lebanon

Statistics vs.  Lebanon
Played1 Wins2 Draws Losses GF GA
25 15 5 5 50 28

1. Only matches recognized by FIFA.
2. Wins for Syria.

Matches against Lebanon are very important to Syrian fans. The first game was on April 19, 1942, when both countries were under French rule. Syria has played 25 games against Lebanon and has won 15 of them.

Syria vs. Jordan

Statistics vs.  Jordan
Played1 Wins2 Draws Losses GF GA
43 14 14 15 47 44

1. Only matches recognized by FIFA.
2. Wins for Syria.

Syria's first official match against Jordan was on August 1, 1953. Syria won 3–1. Over the years, games between Syria and Jordan have become very popular due to their shared history and location.

Team Nickname

The Syrian national football team is known as Nosour Qasioun. This means "The Eagles of Qasioun." It refers to Mount Qasioun, a mountain that overlooks the capital city of Damascus.

Team Kits

The Syria national football team wears red for their home games. Their away kit is white.

Kit supplier Period Notes
Italy Diadora 2005–2010
Germany Adidas 2011–2014
Italy Lotto 2015–2017
Germany Jako 2018–2020
Germany Uhlsport 2021–2022
Germany Jako 2022–

Recent Match Results

See also: Syria national football team results (2020–present) and Syria national football team results

Here are the results of Syria's matches in the last 12 months, along with any planned future games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Coaching Staff

Current Technical Team

See also: List of Asian national football team managers
Position Name
Head coach Spain José Lana
Assistant coaches Egypt Khaled Ghoneim
Goalkeeping coach
Team manager
Fitness coach

Coaching History

Name Nat Period Matches Wins Draws Losses Honours
Vinzenz Dittrich Austria 1951
Francisc Mészáros Hungary 1954
József Albert Hungary 1956–1959 1957 Arab Games winners
Miklós Vadas Hungary 1960–1965
Cornel Drăgușin Romania 1965–1966
Ezzat Abdel-Wahab United Arab Republic 1969
Mehana Jabour Syria 1971
Khalil Nadaf Syria 1971–1972
Mohamed Azzam Syria 1972
Khalil Nadaf Syria 1972–1973
Mousa Shamas Syria 1973–1974
Lofti Kerkuli Syria 1974
Petre Rădulescu Romania 1974–1975
Vladimir Bolotov Soviet Union 1975
Mohamed Azzam Syria 1976–1977
Lofti Kerkuli Syria 1977
Zaki Natour Syria 1978
Horst Zokoll East Germany 1978–1979
Mustafa Hasanagić Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1979
Mousa Shamas Syria 1980
Joseph Chadli Syria 1980
Bill Asprey England 1980–1982
Karl Trautmann East Germany 1983–1984
Viktor Vasilyev Soviet Union 1984
Avedis Kavlakian Syria 1984–1985
Valeriy Yaremchenko Soviet Union 1985–1987 1987 Mediterranean Games winners
Anatoliy Azarenkov Soviet Union
Ukraine		 1987–1992
Virgil Dridea Romania 1992–1993
Marwan Khouri Syria 1994–1995
Yuri Kurnenin Belarus 1995–1997
Anwar Abdul-Kader Syria 1997
Kevork Mardikian Syria 1997
Angel Stankov Bulgaria 1997
Mircea Rădulescu Romania 1997–1998
Joel Camargo Brazil 1998–1999
Mousa Shamas Syria March 1999 – September 1999
Dragoslav Popović Federal Republic of Yugoslavia September 1999 – February 2000
Dragoslav Sridović Federal Republic of Yugoslavia March 2000 – April 2000
Božidar Vukotić Federal Republic of Yugoslavia March 2001 – October 2001
Jalal Talebi Iran November 2001 – September 2002 10 9 0 1
Janusz Wójcik Poland March 2003 – August 2003
Božidar Vukotić Serbia and Montenegro September 2003 – November 2003
Ahmed Rifaat Egypt December 2003 – November 2004
Nizar Mahrous Syria November 2004 – 2005
Miloslav Radenović

Serbia

 2005 – August 2006
Fajr Ibrahim Syria 5 August 2006 – February 2008 24 13 5 6
Mohammad Kwid Syria 10 May 2008 – 20 August 2008 8 4 0 4
Fajr Ibrahim Syria 13 November 2008 – 13 September 2010 28 13 9 6
Ayman Hakeem (Interim) Syria 14 September 2010 – 20 December 2010 5 2 1 2
Ratomir Dujković Serbia 28 October 2010 – 8 December 2010 1 1 0 0
Valeriu Tiţa Romania 21 December 2010 – 9 February 2011 6 1 0 5
Claude Le Roy France 16 April 2011 – 4 May 2011 0 0 0 0
Nizar Mahrous Syria 22 May 2011 – 18 August 2011 7 5 2 0
Marwan Khoury Syria 7 July 2012 – 30 August 2012 4 1 1 2
Hussam Al Sayed Syria 21 October 2012 – 10 April 2013 8 2 3 3 2012 WAFF Championship winners
Anas Makhlouf Syria 13 April 2013 – 23 October 2013 3 0 1 2
Hussam Al Sayed (Interim) Syria 9 November 2013 – 20 November 2013 3 1 0 2
Ahmad Al Shaar Syria 13 February 2014 – 5 March 2014 1 0 0 1
Muhannad Al Fakeer Syria 18 September 2014 – 5 January 2015 2 2 0 0
Fajr Ibrahim Syria 6 January 2015 – 29 March 2016 14 10 1 3
Ayman Hakeem Syria 9 May 2016 – 20 November 2017 21 6 11 4
Bernd Stange Germany 31 January 2018 – 10 January 2019 11 3 5 3
Fajr Ibrahim Syria 10 January 2019 – 31 December 2019 17 7 3 7
Nabil Maâloul Tunisia 11 March 2020 – 15 June 2021 7 3 0 4
Nizar Mahrous Syria 7 July 2021 – 16 November 2021 6 0 2 4
Valeriu Tiţa Romania 18 November 2021 – 1 February 2022 5 1 0 4
Ghassan Maatouk Syria 9 February 2022 – 1 June 2022 3 2 1 0
Hussam Al Sayed Syria 23 August 2022 – 1 February 2023 6 0 0 6
Héctor Cúper Argentina 2 February 2023 – 11 June 2024 18 5 6 7
José Lana Spain 22 August 2024 – 5 3 0 2

Syrian National Team Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the friendly match against Russia on November 19, 2024.

Information is correct as of November 19, 2024, after the match against  Russia
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Ibrahim Alma (1991-10-18) 18 October 1991 (age 33) 80 0 Syria Tishreen
1GK Ahmad Madania (1990-01-01) 1 January 1990 (age 35) 31 0 Bahrain Al-Riffa
1GK Maksim Sarraf (2005-03-15) 15 March 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Uzbekistan Andijon
2DF Omar Midani (1994-01-26) 26 January 1994 (age 31) 66 1 Kuwait Al-Salmiya
2DF Khaled Kourdoghli (1997-01-31) 31 January 1997 (age 28) 27 0 Iraq Erbil
2DF Ahmad Faqa (2003-01-10) 10 January 2003 (age 22) 4 0 Sweden AIK
2DF Ignacio Abraham (1998-01-12) 12 January 1998 (age 27) 3 0 Argentina Estudiantes de Río Cuarto
2DF Emiliano Amor (1995-05-16) 16 May 1995 (age 30) 3 0 Chile Colo-Colo
2DF Ali Al Rina (2004-01-10) 10 January 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Syria Al-Ittihad
2DF Zakaria Hannan (1997-08-21) 21 August 1997 (age 27) 1 0 Syria Al-Ittihad
2DF Facundo Mater (1998-07-23) 23 July 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Argentina Barracas Central
3MF Thaer Krouma (1990-02-02) 2 February 1990 (age 35) 46 1 India Mumbai City
3MF Mohammed Osman (1994-01-01) 1 January 1994 (age 31) 29 2 Thailand Lamphun Warriors
3MF Ammar Ramadan (2001-01-05) 5 January 2001 (age 24) 18 0 Slovakia Dunajská Streda
3MF Elmar Abraham (1999-03-01) 1 March 1999 (age 26) 10 0 Sweden Skövde AIK
3MF Hasan Dahan (2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Syria Al-Ittihad
3MF Mahmoud Nayef (2004-01-03) 3 January 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Syria Al-Ittihad
4FW Mahmoud Al-Mawas (1993-01-01) 1 January 1993 (age 32) 98 16 Iraq Al-Shorta
4FW Alaa Al Dali (1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 28) 25 4 Iran Chadormalu
4FW Mohammad Al Hallak (1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 (age 26) 22 1 Bahrain Al-Riffa
4FW Mahmoud Al Aswad (2003-09-14) 14 September 2003 (age 21) 10 1 Iraq Zakho
4FW Pablo Sabbag (1997-06-11) 11 June 1997 (age 28) 8 2 Peru Alianza Lima
4FW Mohammad Al Salkhadi (2001-07-29) 29 July 2001 (age 23) 3 0 Sweden IFK Värnamo

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called to the Syria squad in the last 12 months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Elias Hadaya (1998-08-21) 21 August 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Sweden Utsiktens v.  Russia, 19 November 2024INJ
GK Esteban Glellel (1999-01-06) 6 January 1999 (age 26) 4 0 Argentina Quilmes v.  Thailand, 14 October 2024
GK Taha Mosa (1987-05-24) 24 May 1987 (age 38) 6 0 Syria Hutteen v.  Myanmar, 26 March 2024
DF Aiham Ousou (2000-01-09) 9 January 2000 (age 25) 11 0 Belgium Charleroi v.  Russia, 19 November 2024INJ
DF Moayad Ajan (1993-02-16) 16 February 1993 (age 32) 76 3 Syria Al-Wahda v.  India, 9 September 2024
DF Muayad Al Khouli (1993-10-16) 16 October 1993 (age 31) 16 0 Syria Al-Wathba v.  India, 9 September 2024
DF Amro Jenyat (1993-01-15) 15 January 1993 (age 32) 45 1 Syria Al-Karamah v.  Japan, 11 June 2024
DF Abdul Rahman Weiss (1998-06-14) 14 June 1998 (age 27) 22 0 Greece Kalamata v.  Japan, 11 June 2024
DF Abdullah Al Shami (1994-03-02) 2 March 1994 (age 31) 14 0 Syria Al-Karamah 2023 AFC Asian CupPRE
DF Saad Al Ahmad (1989-08-10) 10 August 1989 (age 35) 12 0 Syria Hutteen 2023 AFC Asian CupPRE
MF Ezequiel Ham (1994-01-10) 10 January 1994 (age 31) 14 1 Argentina Independiente Rivadavia v.  Russia, 19 November 2024WD
MF Simon Amin (1997-11-13) 13 November 1997 (age 27) 5 0 Norway Sandefjord v.  Russia, 19 November 2024INJ
MF Mouhamad Anez (1995-05-14) 14 May 1995 (age 30) 31 1 Syria Hutteen v.  Thailand, 14 October 2024
MF Mustafa Jneid (2000-01-11) 11 January 2000 (age 25) 7 0 Syria Hutteen v.  Thailand, 14 October 2024
MF Mohammad Al Marmour (1995-01-04) 4 January 1995 (age 30) 35 4 Bahrain Al-Najma v.  India, 9 September 2024
MF Mustafa Abdullatif (2003-12-15) 15 December 2003 (age 21) 2 0 Germany Hannover 96 II v.  India, 9 September 2024
MF Fahd Youssef (1987-05-15) 15 May 1987 (age 38) 44 7 Iraq Al-Shorta v.  Japan, 11 June 2024
MF Jalil Elías (1996-04-25) 25 April 1996 (age 29) 9 0 Argentina Vélez Sarsfield v.  Japan, 11 June 2024
MF Mahmoud Dahoud (1996-01-01) 1 January 1996 (age 29) 0 0 Germany Eintracht Frankfurt v.  Myanmar, 26 March 2024WD
MF Kamel Hmeisheh (1998-07-23) 23 July 1998 (age 26) 27 0 Iraq Masafi Al-Wasat 2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF Malek Janeer (2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 (age 22) 0 0 United Arab Emirates Al Wasl 2023 AFC Asian CupPRE
FW Noah Shamoun (2002-12-08) 8 December 2002 (age 22) 6 0 Denmark Randers v.  Thailand, 14 October 2024
FW Tobías Cervera (2002-08-06) 6 August 2002 (age 22) 3 0 Argentina Platense v.  Thailand, 14 October 2024
FW Daleho Irandust (1998-06-04) 4 June 1998 (age 27) 3 1 Sweden Brommapojkarna v.  Tajikistan, 11 October 2024INJ
FW Omar Al Somah (1989-03-28) 28 March 1989 (age 36) 42 21 Qatar Al-Arabi v.  Japan, 11 June 2024
FW Ibrahim Hesar (1993-11-15) 15 November 1993 (age 31) 12 2 Iraq Zakho v.  Japan, 11 June 2024
FW Antonio Yakoub (2002-06-12) 12 June 2002 (age 23) 3 0 Sweden Nordic United v.  Japan, 11 June 2024
FW Omar Khribin (1994-01-15) 15 January 1994 (age 31) 60 26 United Arab Emirates Al Wahda v.  Myanmar, 26 March 2024
FW Mardik Mardikian (1992-03-14) 14 March 1992 (age 33) 44 8 Syria Hutteen v.  Myanmar, 26 March 2024
FW Yassin Samia (1998-02-22) 22 February 1998 (age 27) 7 1 Syria Al-Wahda 2023 AFC Asian CupPRE

SUS Player suspended.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
RET Retired from the national team.
WD Player withdrew from the squad for non-injury related reasons.
PRE Player was named in preliminary squad.

Previous Squads

AFC Asian Cup
  • 1980 Asian Cup squad
  • 1984 Asian Cup squad
  • 1988 Asian Cup squad
  • 1996 Asian Cup squad
  • 2011 Asian Cup squad
  • 2019 Asian Cup squad
  • 2023 Asian Cup squad
Olympic Games
  • 1980 Olympics squad

Player Records

Main article: Syria national football team records and statistics
Players in bold are still active with Syria.

Most Appearances

2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Iran 1-1 Syria - Maher Al-Sayed
Maher Al-Sayed has played the most games for Syria, with 109 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Maher Al-Sayed 109 29 1999–2013
2 Ali Diab 97 4 2004–2013
Mahmoud Al-Mawas 97 16 2012–present
4 Mosab Balhous 86 0 2006–2016
5 Raja Rafe 84 32 2002–2015
6 Tarek Jabban 83 5 1996–2007
7 Ibrahim Alma 80 0 2012–present
8 Nizar Mahrous 76 12 1985–1993
Moayad Ajan 76 3 2012–present
10 George Khouri 74 8 1982–1989

Top Goalscorers

Firas Khatib
Firas Al-Khatib is Syria's all-time top goalscorer with 36 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Firas Al-Khatib 36 72 0.5 2001–2019
2 Raja Rafe 32 84 0.38 2006–2016
3 Maher Al-Sayed 29 109 0.27 1999–2013
4 Omar Khribin 27 60 0.45 2012–present
5 Said Bayazid 24 24 1 1997–2001
6 Zyad Chaabo 22 49 0.45 2001–2010
7 Omar Al Somah 21 42 0.5 2012–present
8 Mahmoud Al-Mawas 16 97 0.16 2012–present
9 Mohamed Al-Zeno 15 48 0.31 2004–2011
10 Avedis Kavlakian 14 — — 1953–1966

Competitive Records

AUS-SYR 20190116 Asian Cup 8
Syrian national team before their 2019 AFC Asian Cup match against Australia.

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1938 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Brazil 1950 Withdrew 1 0 0 1 0 7
Switzerland 1954 Did not enter Did not enter
Sweden 1958 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 1 2
Chile 1962 Withdrew Withdrew
England 1966
Mexico 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 6 3 1 2 6 6
Argentina 1978 Withdrew 4 1 0 3 2 6
Spain 1982 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 2 7
Mexico 1986 8 4 3 1 8 4
Italy 1990 4 2 1 1 7 5
United States 1994 6 3 3 0 14 4
France 1998 5 2 1 2 27 5
South Korea Japan 2002 6 4 1 1 40 6
Germany 2006 6 2 2 2 7 7
South Africa 2010 10 6 2 2 23 10
Brazil 2014 Disqualified 2 0 0 2 0 6
Russia 2018 Did not qualify 20 9 5 6 37 22
Qatar 2022 18 8 3 7 31 23
Canada Mexico United States 2026 6 2 1 3 9 12
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/20 – – – – – – 108 46 24 38 214 132
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

AFC Asian Cup

Main article: Syria at the AFC Asian Cup
4822274 AE7I6730
Syria during the 2023 Asian Cup match against Australia.
AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 Not a AFC member Not a AFC member
South Korea 1960
Israel 1964
Iran 1968
Thailand 1972 Did not qualify 3 0 2 1 4 5
Iran 1976 Withdrew Withdrew
Kuwait 1980 Group stage 4 2 1 1 3 2 3 2 1 0 2 0
Singapore 1984 4 1 1 2 3 5 5 3 0 2 9 8
Qatar 1988 4 2 0 2 2 5 4 3 1 0 8 2
Japan 1992 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 3 4
United Arab Emirates 1996 Group stage 3 1 0 2 3 6 4 3 0 1 6 2
Lebanon 2000 Did not qualify 6 4 1 1 11 3
China 2004 6 2 1 3 16 10
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 6 2 2 2 10 6
Qatar 2011 Group stage 3 1 0 2 4 5 6 4 2 0 10 2
Australia 2015 Did not qualify 6 1 1 4 7 7
United Arab Emirates 2019 Group stage 3 0 1 2 2 5 8 6 0 2 26 11
Qatar 2023 Round of 16 4 1 2 1 2 2 8 7 0 1 22 7
Saudi Arabia 2027 To be determined 6 2 1 3 9 12
Total Round of 16 25 8 5 12 19 30 73 40 12 21 143 79
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
AFC Asian Cup history
Year Round Score Result
1980
Round 1 Syria  0–0  Iran Draw
Round 1 Syria  1–0  Bangladesh Win
Round 1 Syria  1–2  North Korea Loss
Round 1 Syria  1–0  China Win
1984
Round 1 Syria  1–1  Qatar Draw
Round 1 Syria  0–1  Saudi Arabia Loss
Round 1 Syria  1–0  South Korea Win
Round 1 Syria  1–3  Kuwait Loss
1988
Round 1 Syria  0–2  Saudi Arabia Loss
Round 1 Syria  0–3  China Loss
Round 1 Syria  1–0  Kuwait Win
Round 1 Syria  1–0  Bahrain Win
1996
Round 1 Syria  1–2  Japan Loss
Round 1 Syria  0–3  China Loss
Round 1 Syria  2–1  Uzbekistan Win
2011
Round 1 Syria  2–1  Saudi Arabia Win
Round 1 Syria  1–2  Japan Loss
Round 1 Syria  1–2  Jordan Loss
2019
Round 1 Syria  0–0  [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]] Draw
Round 1 Syria  0–2  Jordan Loss
Round 1 Syria  2–3  Australia Loss
2023
Round 1 Syria  0–0  Uzbekistan Draw
Round 1 Syria  0–1  Australia Loss
Round 1 Syria  1–0  India Win
Round of 16 Syria  1–1 (3–5 p)  Iran Draw

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record Olympic Games qualification record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
France 1900 to 1968 Mexico Did not enter
West Germany 1972 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 0 1
Canada 1976 Did not enter
Soviet Union 1980 Round 1 3 0 1 2 0 8 4 2 0 2 3 1
United States 1984 Did not qualify 6 2 1 3 6 10
South Korea 1988 2 0 0 2 0 5
Spain 1992 to present See Syria national under-23 team See Syria national under-23 team
Total 0 Titles 3 0 1 2 0 8 14 4 2 8 9 17
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

WAFF Championship

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Balhous (C)
Al Salih
Al Masri
Jwayed
Ajan
Mobayed
Midani
Al Mawas
Jafal
Al Douni
Al Soma
2012 WAFF Championship Final starting lineup on 20 December 2012, in Kuwait City (Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium).
WAFF Championship record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
Jordan 2000 Runners-up 5 2 1 2 5 2
Syria 2002 Fourth place 4 1 1 2 5 6
Iran 2004 Runners-up 4 1 1 2 6 13
Jordan 2007 Semi-finals 3 2 0 1 2 3
Iran 2008 Semi-finals 3 1 1 1 2 3
Jordan 2010 Group stage 2 0 1 1 2 3
Kuwait 2012 Champions 4 2 2 0 5 3
Qatar 2014 Withdrew
Iraq 2019 Group stage 4 0 2 2 5 7
United Arab Emirates 2023 Qualified
Total 1 Title 29 9 9 11 32 40
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

FIFA Arab Cup

FIFA Arab Cup record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
Lebanon 1963 Runners-up 4 3 0 1 9 4
Kuwait 1964 Did not enter
Iraq 1966 Runners-up 5 3 1 1 9 4
Saudi Arabia 1985 Did not enter
Jordan 1988 Runners-up 6 2 2 2 5 5
Syria 1992 Fourth place 4 0 3 1 2 3
Qatar 1998 Group stage 2 0 0 2 1 6
Kuwait 2002 Group stage 4 2 0 2 8 6
Saudi Arabia 2012 Did not enter
Qatar 2021 Group stage 3 1 0 2 4 4
Qatar 2025 To be determined
Total 0 Titles 28 11 6 11 38 32
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Palestine Cup of Nations

Palestine Cup of Nations record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
Iraq 1972 Fourth place 6 4 0 2 11 10
Libya 1973 Runners-up 6 3 1 2 16 11
Tunisia 1975 Fourth place 4 1 0 3 3 8
Total 0 Titles 16 8 1 7 30 29

Arab Games

Arab Games record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
Egypt 1953 Runners-up 3 1 1 1 3 5
Lebanon 1957 Champions 5 2 2 1 12 6
Morocco 1961 Did not enter
Egypt 1965 Group stage 4 2 0 2 20 8
Syria 1976 Third place 6 3 1 2 6 4
Morocco 1985 Group stage 2 0 0 2 0 4
Syria 1992 See 1992 Arab Cup
Lebanon 1997 Runners-up 5 4 0 1 9 5
Jordan 1999 Group stage 4 0 4 0 5 5
Egypt 2007 Did not enter
Qatar 2011 Withdrew
Algeria 2023 to present See Syria national under-23 team
Total 1 Title 33 12 11 10 57 40
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Mediterranean Games

Mediterranean Games record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
Egypt 1951 Third place 2 0 0 2 0 12
Spain 1955 Fourth place 3 0 0 3 0 10
Lebanon 1959 Did not enter
Italy 1963 Group stage 3 0 0 3 1 10
Tunisia 1967 Did not enter
Turkey 1971 Group stage 3 0 0 3 1 4
Algeria1975 Did not enter
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1979
Morocco 1983 Group stage 2 0 0 2 0 2
Syria 1987 Champions 5 4 1 0 13 3
Italy 1991 to present See Syria national under-20 team
Total 1 Title 18 4 1 13 15 41

Asian Games

Asian Games record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
India 1951 Did not enter
Philippines 1954
Japan 1958
Indonesia 1962
Thailand 1966
Thailand 1970
Iran1974
Thailand 1978
India 1982 Group stage 3 0 2 1 3 5
South Korea 1986 Did not enter
China 1990
Japan 1994
Thailand 1998
South Korea 2002 to present See Syria national under-23 team
Total 0 Titles 3 0 1 2 3 5
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

West Asian Games

West Asian Games record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
Iran 1997 Runners-up 4 3 0 1 14 4
Kuwait 2002 Third place 4 1 3 0 5 4
Qatar 2005 Runners-up 4 1 3 0 7 5
Total 0 Titles 12 5 6 1 26 13
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Head-to-Head Records

Main article: Syria national football team records and statistics

This list shows Syria's all-time international record against other countries.

      Positive Record       Neutral Record       Negative Record

after match against  Thailand

All friendly and international matches have been approved, except for Olympic matches. A-level matches

Syria national football team head-to-head records
Opponent Played Win Draws Losse GF GA GD Confederation
 Afghanistan 4 4 0 0 16 3 +13 AFC
 Algeria 6 1 2 3 4 7 −3 CAF
 Australia 4 0 1 3 4 7 −3 AFC
 Bahrain 25 12 7 6 29 24 +5 AFC
 Bangladesh 3 3 0 0 5 1 +4 AFC
 Belarus 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 UEFA
 Cambodia 3 3 0 0 17 1 +16 AFC
 China 15 5 2 8 14 29 −15 AFC
 Chinese Taipei 4 4 0 0 17 1 +16 AFC
 Cyprus 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 UEFA
 Egypt 11 2 2 7 7 23 −16 CAF
 Greece 2 0 0 2 0 12 −12 UEFA
 Guam 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 AFC
 Haiti 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 CONCACAF
 Hong Kong 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 AFC
 India 8 4 2 2 11 7 +4 AFC
 Indonesia 5 4 0 1 15 3 +12 AFC
 Iran 30 1 12 17 16 52 −36 AFC
 Iraq 33 5 11 17 25 46 −21 AFC
 Japan 13 0 2 11 9 37 −28 AFC
 Jordan 43 14 14 15 47 44 +3 AFC
 Kazakhstan 4 3 1 0 8 1 +7 UEFA
 Kuwait 34 11 9 14 39 51 −12 AFC
 Kyrgyzstan 7 2 2 3 10 8 +2 AFC
 Laos 2 2 0 0 20 0 +20 AFC
 Lebanon 25 15 5 5 50 28 +22 AFC
 Libya 10 3 3 4 13 17 −4 AFC
 Malaysia 6 2 2 2 12 14 -2 AFC
 Maldives 7 6 0 1 39 4 +35 AFC
 Mauritania 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 CAF
 Morocco 6 0 3 3 2 7 −5 CAF
 Mauritius 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 CAF
 Myanmar 2 1 1 0 8 1 +6 AFC
   Nepal 2 2 0 0 5 0 +5 AFC
 Nigeria 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 CAF
 North Korea 11 4 4 3 18 14 +4 AFC
 Oman 26 9 8 9 39 28 +11 AFC
 [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]] 16 8 6 2 26 14 +12 AFC
 Philippines 5 5 0 0 25 3 +22 AFC
 Qatar 12 4 3 5 18 18 0 AFC
 San Marino 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3 UEFA
 Saudi Arabia 27 2 9 16 22 49 −26 AFC
 Sierra Leone 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6 CAF
 Singapore 6 4 0 2 11 7 +4 AFC
 South Korea 10 1 3 6 5 12 −7 AFC
 South Yemena 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 AFC
 Soviet Uniona 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 UEFA
 Sri Lanka 3 3 0 0 17 0 +17 AFC
 Sudan 10 4 2 4 10 10 0 CAF
 Sweden 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 UEFA
 Tajikistan 9 5 1 3 8 11 −3 AFC
 Thailand 7 1 2 4 11 15 −4 AFC
 Tunisia 11 5 1 5 14 16 −2 CAF
 Turkey 1 0 0 1 0 7 −7 UEFA
 Turkmenistan 3 1 1 1 6 5 +1 AFC
 United Arab Emirates 24 3 8 13 18 37 −19 AFC
 Uzbekistan 7 3 2 2 5 5 0 AFC
 Venezuela 2 0 0 2 2 6 −4 CONMEBOL
 Vietnam 4 1 1 2 1 3 −2 AFC
 Yemenb 14 11 1 2 42 10 +32 AFC
 Zimbabwe 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6 CAF
Total 540 194 134 212 775 709 +66
Last match updated was against  Thailand Thailand on 14 Oct 2024.

(a) Denotes defunct national football team.
(b) Including North Yemen

Honours and Trophies

Regional Competitions

  • WAFF Championship
    • Champions (1): 2012
    • Runners-up (2): 2000, 2004
    • Third place (2): 2007, 2008
  • Arab Cup
    • Runners-up (3): 1963, 1966, 1988
  • Palestine Cup of Nations
    • Runners-up (1): 1973
  • Arab Games
    • Gold medal (1): 1957
    • Silver medal (2): 1953, 1997
    • Bronze medal (1): 1976
  • Kuneitra Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 1974
  • Mediterranean Games
    • Gold medal (1): 1987
    • Bronze medal (1): 1951
  • West Asian Games
    • Silver medal (2): 1997, 2005
    • Bronze medal (1): 2002

Friendly Tournaments

  • Friendship Tournament
    • Runners-up (1): 1998
  • International Friendship Championship
    • Runners-up (2): 2018, 2019
  • King's Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 2024
    • Third place (1): 2016
  • Nehru Cup
    • Runners-up (2): 2007, 2009
  • AIFF Intercontinental Cup
    • Champions (1): 2024
    • Third place (1): 2019

See also

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

  • Syria national under-23 football team
  • Syria national under-20 football team
  • Syria national under-17 football team
  • Syria national futsal team
  • Syria women's national football team
  • Syrian Football Association
  • Football in Syria
  • Sport in Syria
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