Lebanon national football team
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The Lebanon national football team,
french: Équipe du Liban de football controlled by the
Lebanese Football Association The Lebanese Football Association (LFA) ( ar, الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم, Al-Ittiḥād Al-Lubnānī Likurat Al-Qadam; french: Fédération Libanaise de Football) is the governing body of association football in Lebanon. ...
(LFA), have represented
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
in
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
since their inception in 1933. The squad is governed by the
Asian Football Confederation The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in some countries/territories in Asia and Oceania. It has 47 member countries most of which are located in Asia. Australia, formerly i ...
(AFC) continentally, and FIFA worldwide. While Lebanon have yet to qualify for the
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
, they have qualified three times to the AFC Asian Cup: they first participated in
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, when they hosted the event. Lebanon's main venue is the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
; however they also play in other locations such as the
Saida Municipal Stadium The Saida Municipal Stadium (), also known as the Martyr Rafic Hariri Stadium ( ar, ملعب الرئيس الشهيد رفيق الحريري, links=no), is a 22,600 capacity multi-purpose stadium in Sidon, Lebanon. The stadium was built in 1 ...
in
Sidon Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
. In 1935, Lebanon played their first match against the Romanian side
CA Timișoara Clubul Atletic Timișoara was a football club based in Timișoara, western Romania. It was founded in 1902 and dissolved in 1936. History In the Józsefváros neighborhood of Temesvár, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary, on April 26 1902, a ...
(TAC), but it was not ratified by FIFA. Lebanon played their first FIFA-recognised game in 1940 against
Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...
. During their 2014 qualification campaign for the World Cup, Lebanon reached the final qualifying round for the first time thanks to a 2–1 victory against
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
at home in 2011, but failed to qualify for the
2014 World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
finishing bottom of their group. At the 2019 Asian Cup, Lebanon were close to qualifying to the knock-out stages for the first time. However, they lost a tiebreaker to
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
in the third-place ranking on the fair play rule and were knocked out of the competition at the group stage. Lebanon also compete in the
Arab Cup The FIFA Arab Cup ( ar, كأس العرب, translit=Kaʾs al-ʿArab), or simply Arab Cup, is an international association football competition which has been organized by FIFA since 2021, and is contested by the senior men's national teams of ...
, the
WAFF Championship The West Asian Football Federation Championship (), or simply WAFF Championship, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), the ...
, and the
Pan Arab Games The Arab Games ( ar, الألعاب العربية), also called the Pan Arab Games, are a regional multi-sport event held between nations from the Arab world. They are organized by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees. The first Gam ...
. As hosts, they have finished third—once at the Arab Cup and twice at the Pan Arab Games. Inspired by their
national symbol A national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and manifesting itself to the world as a national community: the sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, federal integration, or even an e ...
, the Lebanese team is known as "the Cedars" ( ar, رجال الأرز) by fans and media. Their home kit is primarily red and their away kit white, a reference to their national flag. After a steady decline in their
FIFA ranking The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, led by Brazil . The teams of the men's member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the ...
from 1998 to 2016, Lebanon jumped 66 places (from 147th in 2016 to 81st in 2018) and reached their highest rank to date—77th—in September 2018. This came after a 16-game unbeaten streak, from 24 March 2016 to 11 October 2018, during which Lebanon won eight games and drew seven.


History


1933–1957: The beginning

Lebanon was one of the first nations in the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
to establish an administrative body for
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. On 22 March 1933, representatives of 13 football clubs gathered in the Minet El Hosn district in
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
to form the
Lebanese Football Association The Lebanese Football Association (LFA) ( ar, الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم, Al-Ittiḥād Al-Lubnānī Likurat Al-Qadam; french: Fédération Libanaise de Football) is the governing body of association football in Lebanon. ...
(LFA). The LFA was first headed by Hussein Sejaan, and joined FIFA in 1936. On 3 February 1934, 22 players from Beirut were called up to a training camp by the LFA in view of a
friendly game Friendly may refer to: Places * Friendly, West Yorkshire, a settlement in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England * Friendly, Maryland, an unincorporated community in the United States * Friendly, Eugene, Oregon, a neighborhood in the United States ...
against the Romanian side
CA Timișoara Clubul Atletic Timișoara was a football club based in Timișoara, western Romania. It was founded in 1902 and dissolved in 1936. History In the Józsefváros neighborhood of Temesvár, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary, on April 26 1902, a ...
(TAC); the players were divided into two teams, and played against each other at the American University of Beirut's (AUB) field. The match against TAC, scheduled to be played on 18 February, was cancelled due to financial disagreements between the LFA and the AUB, who organised the encounter. The Beirut select team eventually played against TAC on 21 November 1935 at AUB's field, losing 3–0. Beirut XI played their first game against Syria's Damascus XI in 1939 at the Habib Abou Chahla Stadium; the match ended in a 5–4 loss. The two teams played 16 unofficial games until 1963, winning seven, drawing two, and losing seven. The national team's first official FIFA game was a 5–1 loss to
Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...
on 27 April 1940.
Camille Cordahi Camille Rouhana Cordahi ( ar, كميل روحانا قرداحي; 11 September 1919 – 11 May 2011) was a Lebanese footballer who played as a forward. He is the Lebanon national team's first official goalscorer, scoring his side's lone goal i ...
, assisted by
Muhieddine Jaroudi Muhieddine Jaroudi ( ar, محي الدين الجارودي) was a Lebanese footballer who played as an forward. A player for Riyadi Beirut, Nahda, Hilmi-Sport, and Racing Beirut, Jaroudi took part in Lebanon's first international match aga ...
, scored for Lebanon in the second half, becoming his team's first official international scorer. Lebanon played their first official game against Syria on 19 April 1942; coached by Abed Traboulsi, Lebanon lost 2–1 in Beirut. In 1947 Lebanon played two more friendlies against Syria: a 4–1 defeat in Beirut on 4 May, and a 1–0 defeat in Aleppo on 18 May. During the early-1950s, Lebanon were coached by
Vinzenz Dittrich Vinzenz Dittrich (23 February 1893 – 25 January 1965) was an Austrian professional football player, who played as a defender, and manager. He played for SK Rapid Wien, and coached Hakoah Vienna, Olympique de Marseille, DSV Saaz and FC Nordst ...
and
Ljubiša Broćić Ljubiša Broćić ( sr-Cyrl, Љубиша Броћић; 3 October 1911 – 16 August 1995) was a Serbian football manager. Biography Over the course of his career he was at the helm of some of the top European sides: PSV Eindhoven, Juventus, ...
. The side played four official games between 1953 and 1956, most notably hosting
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
in 1956. Lebanon lost the match 4–1, with Hungary's Ferenc Puskás scoring two goals. The team also played unofficial games against top-level European clubs such as
Dynamo Moscow MGO VFSO "Dynamo" (russian: МГО ВФСО «Динамо»), commonly known as Dynamo Moscow (russian: Динамо Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. Founded by Felix Dzerzhinsky on 18 April 1923, Dynamo Moscow was the first ...
,
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
, and
Spartak Trnava FC Spartak Trnava () is a Slovak professional football club based in Trnava. Historically, it is one of the most successful clubs in the country, having won the Czechoslovak First League five times and the Czechoslovak Cup on four occasions, an ...
in 1957. Lebanon played Energia Flacăra Ploiești the same year in the opening game of the Sports City Stadium. The match ended 1–0 for Lebanon thanks to a Joseph Abou Mrad goal.


1957–1989: Early history and first tournaments

From 19 to 27 October 1957 Lebanon hosted the second edition of the
Pan Arab Games The Arab Games ( ar, الألعاب العربية), also called the Pan Arab Games, are a regional multi-sport event held between nations from the Arab world. They are organized by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees. The first Gam ...
, and were drawn with
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, Syria, and
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
in the group stages. After two 1–1 draws against Saudi Arabia and Syria, Lebanon defeated Jordan 6–3 in their first official international win thanks to two braces by Joseph Abou Mrad and
Mardik Tchaparian Mardiros Tchaparian ( ar, مارديروس تشاباريان), commonly known as Mardik ( ar, مارديك, links=no), is a Lebanese former footballer who played as a striker. Active during the 1950s and 1960s, he used to play as a striker for ...
, and one goal each by Robert Chehade and
Levon Altounian Levon Aram Altounian ( ar, ليون ارام التونيان; 15 February 1936 – 6 September 2020) was a Lebanese footballer who played as a right winger or an attacking midfielder. Altounian played his whole club career at Homenetmen, betw ...
; this placed them first in their group. In the semifinals, Lebanon lost 4–2 to
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
. They finished in third place, however, since
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
withdrew from the third-place match. Joseph Nalbandian was appointed coach of the national team in 1958. He was one of Lebanon's most successful coaches, winning nine of 26 official matches during his 11-year tenure. Under Nalbadian, Lebanon hosted the 1959 Mediterranean Games and were grouped with Italy B and Turkey B. They finished last in the group, after four losses to the two European teams. Lebanon hosted the inaugural edition of the
Arab Cup The FIFA Arab Cup ( ar, كأس العرب, translit=Kaʾs al-ʿArab), or simply Arab Cup, is an international association football competition which has been organized by FIFA since 2021, and is contested by the senior men's national teams of ...
in 1963, and were grouped with Tunisia, Syria,
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, and Jordan. They won their first match against Kuwait 6–0, thanks to a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
by Tchaparian. This six-goal win tied Lebanon's biggest win to date, a 7–1 victory against Saudi Arabia in 1961. After another win (against Jordan) and two losses (to Syria and
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
), Lebanon finished third in the tournament. In the 1966 edition, Lebanon were drawn with Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, and
Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
in Group A. After three wins and a draw, they qualified to the semi-finals against Syria, where they lost 1–0. In the third-place match, Lebanon lost 6–1 to
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
, finishing the competition in fourth place. Lebanon had also played at the 1964 Tripoli Fair Tournament; in a group with Libya, Sudan, Morocco, and
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, they finished in first place with seven points. Having joined the
Asian Football Confederation The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in some countries/territories in Asia and Oceania. It has 47 member countries most of which are located in Asia. Australia, formerly i ...
(AFC) in 1964, Lebanon's first Asian Cup qualifying campaign was in 1971, coached by Joseph Abou Mrad. In the first round they lost to hosts Kuwait 1–0, but defeated neighbours Syria 3–2 to qualify for the next round. In a decisive semi-final match against Iraq, Lebanon lost 4–1 and were eliminated. Due to the country's
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Lebanon only played nine games between 1975 and 1990. They appeared in the 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers held in Abu Dhabi; with one win, one draw, and one defeat, Lebanon came third in their group and were eliminated. Lebanon also initially took part in the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifiers; however, after playing four matches, Lebanon withdrew and their results were annulled. In the
1988 Arab Cup The 1988 Arab Cup was the fifth edition of the Arab Cup hosted by Amman, Jordan. The defending champion Iraq national football team, Iraq won the title for the 4th time. Qualification Jordan national football team, Jordan qualified automatically ...
, Lebanon were drawn with
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, Iraq, Tunisia, and
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. They finished third in their group, with one win, two draws, and one defeat.


1993–2004: Post-Civil War and Asian Cup hosts

In 1993 Lebanon played their first qualification campaign after the civil war, in the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with
Adnan Al Sharqi Adnan Hussein Mekdache ( ar, عدنان حسين مكداش; 15 November 1941 – 1 June 2021), commonly known as Adnan Al Sharqi ( ar, عدنان الشرقي, lit=Adnan the Oriental, link=no), was a Lebanese football player and manager. After ...
as their coach. Their gap of 57 years between the date of FIFA affiliation (1936) and their first full World Cup qualifying campaign (1993) was the highest to date; it was surpassed by the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
three years later with a gap of 68 years. After two wins, two losses, and four draws, Lebanon finished third in their group and were eliminated. Under
Terry Yorath Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), A ...
, the team's first foreign manager since the war, Lebanon began their first post-war campaign to qualify for the
1996 AFC Asian Cup The 1996 AFC Asian Cup was the 11th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international association football, football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in the United Arab Emirates be ...
. Despite winning twice against
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...
and losing only once (at home, against
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
), Lebanon were eliminated from the competition with a one-point difference with Kuwait (the group leader). Yorath helped Lebanon gain 10 places in the
FIFA World Ranking The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, led by Brazil . The teams of the men's member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the ...
thanks to a 3–3 draw against the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
and a 1–0 win against Jordan, both friendlies played in February 1997. Thanks to their performances, Lebanon were awarded the Asian Team of the Month award in February. Lebanon were drawn in a group which included Kuwait and
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
in the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, played between April and June 1997. Led by Yorath, the Cedars were eliminated with only four points. Despite the team's elimination, the Welsh manager was one of the team's most successful managers, winning 13 of 31 official matches during his two-year tenure. Lebanon hosted the
2000 AFC Asian Cup The 2000 AFC Asian Cup was the 12th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in Lebanon between 12 and 29 October 2000. Japan def ...
, despite FIFA's concerns about stadium conditions. Under Croatian coach
Josip Skoblar Josip Skoblar (born 12 March 1941) is a Croatian former professional football player and manager. He was primarily a forward, and also capable of playing on both wings. He played for Zadar, OFK Belgrade, Hannover 96, Marseille and NK Rijeka. Wh ...
, Lebanon, captained by
Jamal Taha Jamal Khamis Taha ( ar, جمال خميس طه; born 23 November 1966) is a football manager and former player who is the head coach of club Ansar. Nicknamed "the Brown Gazelle" (), Taha was born in Egypt to an Egyptian father and a Lebanes ...
, drew into Group A with
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, Iraq, and
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. Out of the 23 called-up players for the tournament, five were Brazilians with Lebanese ancestry. Lebanon played their first Asian Cup game against Iran on 12 October 2000 at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium with 52,418 spectators. Trailing by one goal at half time, Lebanon conceded three further goals in the second half to end their first group stage match in a 4–0 defeat. In the second match, against Iraq, two goals in the first 22 minutes gave the opposing team a comfortable lead. However, an Abbas Chahrour long-distance volley in the 28th minute, Lebanon's first goal in the competition, and a goal by
Moussa Hojeij Moussa Ali Hojeij (; born 6 August 1974) is a Lebanese football manager and former player who is the head coach of club Safa. Hojeij was the best player in the Al-Manar Football Festival several times, and was captain of the national team. H ...
in the 76th minute gave Lebanon their first point of the competition. Lebanon played Thailand in the final group stage match. With the opposing team gaining the lead in the 58th minute, Luís Fernandes equalised for Lebanon to end the match 1–1. The draw was not enough as they finished last in the group, with only two points. Managed by Theo Bücker, Lebanon drew with
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, Sri Lanka, and Thailand in the first round of the 2002 World Cup qualifications. The team, with good offense from
Roda Antar Roda Abdelhassan Antar ( ar, رضا عبد الحسن عنتر; born 12 September 1980) is a Lebanese professional football manager and former player. Formerly captain of Lebanon, Antar scored 20 goals for his country as a midfielder. Antar sta ...
,
Haitham Zein Haitham Ali Mohamad Al Haj Ali Zein (; born 6 January 1979), or simply Haitham Zein, is a Lebanese former footballer who played as a forward. He played for numerous Lebanese Premier League clubs, mainly at Tadamon Sour, and represented Lebanon ...
, Vartan Ghazarian, and
Gilberto dos Santos Gilberto dos Santos (born 27 August 1975), or simply Gilberto (), is a former footballer who played as a striker. Born in Brazil, Gilberto is of Lebanese descent; he represented Lebanon internationally at the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. Club career Gi ...
, finished second in their group with 26 goals in six games (the most in their group). Under
Richard Tardy Richard Francis Emile Tardy (born 29 July 1950) is a French former professional football player and manager. He led several clubs and national teams as a coach. Career Tardy has managed in the Superleague Greece with Aris Thessaloniki F.C., a ...
, Lebanon drew into Group D of the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. Before the match away to
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
, the Lebanese team were reportedly ill-treated; hotel conditions were poor, and their training field contained goats and sheep. Lebanon finished third in their group, with four points. For the second round of the qualifiers for the
2006 World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
, Lebanon were grouped with
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
,
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, and the
Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
. Under Mahmoud Hamoud, they finished second in their group and were eliminated.


2006–2014: Final round of World Cup qualification and match fixing

Lebanon drew into Group D for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign with Australia, Bahrain, and Kuwait, played in 2006. The scheduled meeting between Australia and Lebanon made
Buddy Farah Badawi "Buddy" Farah ( ar, بدوي "بدي" فرح; born 18 August 1978) is a football agent and former footballer. Born in Australia, Farah is of Lebanese descent. After beginning his career with Marconi Stallions in the Australian National S ...
, an Australian player of Lebanese descent, declare his return to the Lebanese national side. Before Lebanon's match with Bahrain on 16 August, it was announced on 1 August that the Asian Football Confederation had accepted a withdrawal request from the Lebanon Football Association due to the 2006 Lebanon War, which forced several players to leave their homes to avoid the war. In 2007 Lebanon was seeded in the first round of the qualifiers for the
2010 World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, where they faced
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
to qualify directly for the
third round Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hig ...
of the qualifiers. Lebanon won 6–3 on aggregate and advanced to the third round, with two goals by
Mohammed Ghaddar Mohamad Mahmoud Ghaddar ( ar, محمد محمود غدار; born 1 January 1984) is a Lebanese former professional footballer who played as a forward. Coming through the youth system, Ghaddar began his senior career at Nejmeh in 2000. He staye ...
in the second match. Lebanon, grouped with Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...
, finished last with no points. In April 2008, Lebanon and the Maldives (the two lowest-ranked teams in Asia) played home-and-away matches in the
preliminary round A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
of the
2011 Asian Cup The 2011 AFC Asian Cup was the 15th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in Qatar from 7 to 29 January 2011. It was the fifte ...
; the winner would proceed to the next round. A 4–0 home win and a 2–1 victory in the away match advanced Lebanon to the qualifying round. Between 2009 and 2010, they drew into Group D with China, Syria, and Vietnam, finishing last.
Emile Rustom Emile Boulos Rustom ( ar, إميل بولس رستم; born 27 March 1952) is a Lebanese football coach and former player who is the head coach of club Sagesse. After playing with Sagesse for 22 years, and the Lebanon national team for nine ...
, re-appointed as head coach in November 2008, led Lebanon into the second round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. They faced
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
, winning 4–0 in Beirut on 23 July 2011, and losing 2–0 in
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
five days later. Lebanon advanced to the
third round Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hig ...
, where they were grouped with South Korea, Kuwait, and the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
(UAE). Rustom resigned less than a week later, citing internal administrative problems. On 4 August 2011, Theo Bücker was reappointed as Lebanon's head coach. The former national team manager took the reins nine years after leaving that position. Lebanon began the third round losing 6–0 away to South Korea. In the second match, they came back from one goal down to defeat the UAE 3–1 at home. The team then drew 2–2 to Kuwait in Beirut on 11 October. For the first time since 2005, when the LFA barred fans from the stadiums due to behavioural issues, spectators (32,000) were allowed at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium. Bad fan behaviour (mainly fireworks-related) was again a problem against Kuwait, forcing referee
Masaaki Toma , born , is a professional Japanese football referee. He has been refereeing in the J-League since 2008 and has officiated a number of international club and country matches. Career Toma's first J-League game was in 2008, when he officiated the ...
to stop the game several times. A month later, Lebanon defeated Kuwait 1–0 in Kuwait City; it was Kuwait's first home loss to Lebanon. On 15 November, Lebanon hosted
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
at Beirut's Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium before over 40,000 spectators.
Ali Al Saadi Ali Mahmoud Al Saadi ( ar, علي محمود السعدي; born 20 April 1986) is a Lebanese footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Safa. Starting his career at Safa in 2005, Al Saadi remained there until 2017—albeit being sent o ...
gave Lebanon the lead after four minutes, however South Korea tied the score with a penalty kick. Lebanon regained the lead in the 30th minute through an
Abbas Ali Atwi Abbas Ali Atwi ( ar, عباس علي عطوي; born 15 December 1984), also known as Onika ( ar, أونيكا, links=no, also spelled Unica), is a Lebanese football coach and former player who is team manager of club Bourj. Club career Atw ...
penalty; the match finished in a 2–1 victory. Lebanon's first-ever win against South Korea qualified them for the fourth (and final) round of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time. In 2012 Lebanon drew into Group A of the fourth round, with South Korea, Uzbekistan, Iran, and
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...
. In Lebanon's fourth game, on 11 September against Iran, a first-half Roda Antar goal gave Lebanon the lead through a header. They held onto the lead and won 1–0; the three points were crucial to stay in contention for a spot at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 26 February 2013, team members
Ramez Dayoub Ramez Jamal Dayoub ( ar, رامز جمال ديوب; born 9 August 1984) is a Lebanese former professional footballer who played as a defender. A former Lebanon national team player, Dayoub played in Lebanon, Myanmar, Bahrain, and Malaysia, be ...
and Mahmoud El Ali were involved in the 2013 Lebanese match-fixing scandal; they were accused of illegal betting on several matches involving Lebanese teams (including the national team), in addition to manipulating results. The players were fined $15,000 and banned from the Lebanon Football Association for life. Lebanon's 1–0 defeat to Qatar was part of the scandal, with defender Dayoub purposely passing the ball to the Qatari striker, who netted the only goal of the game. The Lebanese team then lost to Uzbekistan 1–0 on the road. In the following match they hosted South Korea in Beirut and led 1–0, until South Korea scored the equaliser in the 97th minute, eliminating Lebanon. In 2013 the team drew into group B with Iran, Thailand and Kuwait for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifications. After losing 5–0 to Iran, and winning 5–2 against Thailand,
Giuseppe Giannini Giuseppe Giannini (; born 20 August 1964) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent the majority of his 15-year playing career with A.S. Roma, and was regarded by supporters as a club symbol, before his ...
replaced Theo Bücker as head coach. During Giannini's first game, on match day three, Mohammad Ghaddar scored the equaliser against Kuwait in Beirut to earn a point for Lebanon. Lebanon ended the qualifications in third place in their group, with two wins, two draws, and two losses. Lebanon and China were tied on points in the ranking of third-places teams; China had a better goal difference, however, and went on to play in the final tournament. After the country's failed attempt to qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia, the Lebanese Football Association decided to reform the national team in 2014 by modeling it on the Belgium national team (particularly Belgium's performance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil). Inviting new players from nations with a large Lebanese community (such as the United States, Germany, Denmark, and Norway) would, it was hoped, bring about a rebirth of Lebanese football. On 8 September 2014, Lebanon played an unofficial FIFA match against the Brazilian Olympic team in
Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the count ...
for the first time; the match ended in a 2–2 draw.
Hassan Maatouk Hassan Ali Maatouk ( ar, حسن علي معتوق, ; born 10 August 1987) is a Lebanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Ansar and captains the Lebanon national team. Known for his pace and technical skills, Maa ...
scored a goal which would have given Lebanon a 3–1 lead, but the goal was incorrectly ruled offside; Brazil's equalising goal was erroneously ruled onside. The match excited the Lebanese people, despite poor refereeing. After Lebanon's 5–0 away loss to Qatar a month later, Giuseppe Giannini was fired.


2015–2019: First Asian Cup qualification

Miodrag Radulović Miodrag Radulović (; born 23 October 1967) is a Montenegrin professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Montenegro national team. Club career Born in Titograd, Montenegro, his football career began in 1980 at Bu ...
was appointed the team's new coach in 2015, and led Lebanon in the 2018 World Cup qualifications, played between June 2015 and March 2016. The team were drawn in a group that included Asia's runners-up South Korea, Kuwait,
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
, and Laos, the second time Lebanon faced South Korea and Kuwait in World Cup qualifiers. Lebanon finished second in the group and, although they were eliminated from the World Cup, they qualified to the 2019 Asian Cup qualification third round, played between March 2017 and March 2018. The Asian Cup draw put Lebanon in Group B, with
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
, and
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. With five wins and a draw, Lebanon topped the group and qualified for the cup for the first time (after qualifying as host in 2000, the country's only previous participation). Hassan Maatouk (who succeeded Roda Antar as captain in 2016) was key to Lebanon's success, scoring five goals in six games. Although Radulović failed to qualify the team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he helped Lebanon reach their first-ever AFC Asian Cup through qualification in
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
; he was the first Montenegrin manager to help a team qualify for a major tournament. Radulović managed a 16-game unbeaten streak (from 24 March 2016 to 11 October 2018), winning eight and drawing eight, making Lebanon the second-most unbeaten national team by number of games at that point (16) after
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
(26). In September 2018, Lebanon achieved their best-ever FIFA ranking (77th). Lebanon relied on their diaspora abroad for the 2019 Asian Cup, with nine of their 23 called-up players being born outside of Lebanon. They started the campaign on 9 January 2019, with a 2–0 loss against Qatar. In the 37th minute,
Ali Hamam Ali Nizar Hamam ( ar, علي نزار حمام; born 25 August 1986) is a Lebanese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), right-back for club Nejmeh SC, Nejmeh, whom he Captain (association ...
scored a goal for Lebanon from a
corner Corner may refer to: People *Corner (surname) * House of Cornaro, a noble Venetian family (''Corner'' in Venetian dialect) Places *Corner, Alabama, a community in the United States *Corner Inlet, Victoria, Australia *Corner River, a tributary of ...
, only for it to be controversially disallowed for a foul. Two goals by Qatar in the second half secured all three points for the opposing team. Three days later, Lebanon played their second match of the tournament against Saudi Arabia. Two goals without reply brought Lebanon their second defeat of the tournament. In the final group stage game against North Korea, played on 17 January, Lebanon needed to win by four goals to pass to the knock-out stages. The encounter ended in a 4–1 win, thanks to a brace by
Hilal El-Helwe Hilal Bassam El-Helwe ( ar, هلال بسام الحلوة, ; born 24 November 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Lebanon national team. A versatile forward, he can play both centrally and as a winger on either ...
, which gave Lebanon their first ever Asian Cup win. However, they lost out to Vietnam in the third-place ranking on the fair play rule. Because they had received seven
yellow cards Yellow card may refer to: * Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas * Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band * Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative conce ...
against five by Vietnam, they were knocked out of the competition. Liviu Ciobotariu was appointed for the joint qualifications for the
2022 World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022; it is the first ...
and the 2023 Asian Cup. His first games took place at the
2019 WAFF Championship The 2019 West Asian Football Federation Championship, also called Asiacell WAFF Championship Iraq 2019 due to sponsorship by Asiacell, was the 9th edition of the WAFF Championship, an international tournament for member nations of the West As ...
, where Lebanon were drawn with hosts Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
. Lebanon finished fourth in their group with four points, after a win, a draw, and two defeats. For the second round of qualification for the 2022 World Cup, Lebanon were drawn with South Korea, for the third time in a row, North Korea, who Lebanon had faced in both the qualifications and final stage of the 2019 Asian Cup, Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka. Lebanon played five matches (two wins, two draws, and one defeat) between September and November 2019, before the remaining games were postponed on 9 March 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Asia The COVID-19 pandemic began in Asia in Wuhan, Hubei, China, and has spread widely through the continent. As of , at least one case of COVID-19 had been reported in every country in Asia except Turkmenistan. The Asian countries with the highe ...
.


2020–present: Recent history

Former national team captain Jamal Taha was appointed head coach in summer 2020. North Korea withdrew from the World Cup qualifiers in May 2021, and their previous results were voided; this highly benefited Lebanon, as they had only gained one point in two games against them. Despite only winning only one of their following three games, other results went in Lebanon's favour and they finished among the best runners-up, qualifying to the 2023 Asian Cup for the third time, and the final round of 2022 World Cup qualification for the second time. Between September 2021 and March 2022, Lebanon played in Group A of the final round of qualification under coach
Ivan Hašek Ivan Hašek (born 6 September 1963) is a Czech professional football coach and former player. Hašek played as a central midfielder, and spent 11 years of his career with Sparta Prague, appearing in more than 300 official games with the club, ...
; they were drawn with Iran, South Korea, the UAE, Iraq and Syria. Lebanon's performance was inconsistent, gaining five points away from home, but only one at home. Having earned five points from the opening four games, most notably via a 3–2 win against Syria, the team was noted as an "early surprise", sitting in the play-off qualifying third place as the lowest-ranked team in the round. Lebanon only gained one point from the remaining six games, and finished in last place with six points. The qualification campaign was partially covered by ''Captains'', a docuseries released by FIFA and Netflix following six national teams and their respective captains in their 2022 World Cup qualification runs.


Team image


Nickname

Lebanon is known as "the Cedars" ( ar, رجال الأرز) by fans and the media, since the cedar tree is the country's national symbol.


Kits

The national team traditionally wear red as their primary colour and white as their secondary colour. The choices originate from the national flag of Lebanon (red, white, and green); green is typically reserved for the goalkeeper. At home, Lebanon usually wear a red shirt, shorts, and socks, with white details; the away kit is a white outfit with red details. During their first unofficial match in 1935, Lebanon wore white shirts with the Lebanese cedar and the association's name on the chest, black shorts, and white socks; the goalkeeper wore a black shirt and white trousers. In 1940, on the occasion of their first FIFA-sanctioned game against
Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...
, Lebanon wore a white kit with a black collar, along with black shorts and striped socks. During the 1960s, Lebanon wore a red shirt with a white horizontal band in the center, which included a green cedar tree in the middle; the shorts were white, and the socks were red-and-white-striped. In the
2000 AFC Asian Cup The 2000 AFC Asian Cup was the 12th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in Lebanon between 12 and 29 October 2000. Japan def ...
, Lebanon wore a red Adidas shirt with white details on the sides and a white collar, white shorts, and red socks. In the 2019 campaign, Lebanon wore a red kit (manufactured by
Capelli Sport Capelli Sport is an American sportswear and footwear company based in New York, United States, subsidiary of the GMA Accessories Inc. Founded in 2011 by Lebanon-born and New York-based entrepreneur George Altirs, Capelli Sport also has locations ...
) with white details and a white collar. The Lebanese cedar, the country's national symbol, was present under the team logo in a darker shade of red. Since 2015 the team kit has been manufactured by Capelli Sport, a sports brand founded by Lebanese-born entrepreneur George Altirs. Previous manufacturers include
Diadora Diadora is an Italian sportswear and footwear manufacturing company based in Caerano di San Marco (Veneto), subsidiary of Geox, founded in 1948. Diadora produces football boots and athletic shoes, as well as a range of apparel that includes ...
and Adidas.


Home stadium

The Lebanese national team play their home games in various stadiums throughout the country. The team's main venue is the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium. Built in 1957 during the presidency of
Camille Chamoun Camille Nimr Chamoun OM, ONC ( ar, كميل نمر شمعون, ''Kamīl Sham'ūn''; 3 April 1900 – 7 August 1987) was a Lebanese politician who served as President of Lebanon from 1952 to 1958. He was one of the country's main Christi ...
, it is the country's largest stadium with 49,500 seats. Its inaugural game was in 1957, when the national team played Energia Flacara Ploiesti and won 1–0 thanks to a Joseph Abou Mrad goal. It was the main stadium used to host the 2000 Asian Cup held in Lebanon; six matches were played in the stadium including the opening match and the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
. In 2011 the stadium hosted the famed 2–1 victory against
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
in the 2014 World Cup qualification, sending Lebanon to the
final round A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
of qualification for the first time. Over 40,000 spectators were present to watch the match. The national team, however, also play in other stadiums such as the
Saida Municipal Stadium The Saida Municipal Stadium (), also known as the Martyr Rafic Hariri Stadium ( ar, ملعب الرئيس الشهيد رفيق الحريري, links=no), is a 22,600 capacity multi-purpose stadium in Sidon, Lebanon. The stadium was built in 1 ...
located in
Sidon Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
. Built over the sea, the stadium holds 22,600 people, and was one of the venues to host the 2000 Asian Cup. Other stadiums in which the national team play include the
Tripoli Municipal Stadium Tripoli Municipal Stadium ( ar, ملعب طرابلس البلدي) is a 10,000 capacity multi-use stadium in Tripoli, Lebanon. It is located near the city center. The stadium was inaugurated on 29 May 1960. It was recently rehabilitated to wel ...
and the
Beirut Municipal Stadium Beirut Municipal Stadium () is an 18,000 capacity multi-purpose stadium in Beirut, Lebanon. It is currently mostly used for football matches. History The stadium was built by the French colonials in 1935. DPHB played at the inaugural game of t ...
.


Media

Produced by
Fulwell 73 Fulwell 73 is a British television, film and music production company based in London. It was founded in 2005 by brothers Gabe and Ben Turner, Leo Pearlman, and Ben Winston. James Corden became the fifth full time partner in January 2017. Ful ...
, FIFA released ''Captains'' in 2022, an eight-part sports
docuseries Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. *Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...
following six national team captains in their respective 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns. Hassan Maatouk, representing Lebanon, starred in the first season alongside
Thiago Silva Thiago Emiliano da Silva (born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional Association Football, footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Chelsea F.C., Chelsea and captains the Brazil national football team, Brazil national team. Con ...
(
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
),
Luka Modrić Luka Modrić (; born 9 September 1985) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid and captains the Croatia national team. He plays mainly as a central midfielder, but can also play as an a ...
(
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
),
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang (born 18 June 1989) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Chelsea. He is renowned for his pace, finishing, and off-ball movement. Born in France, he is a former ...
(
Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...
),
Andre Blake Andre Jason Blake (born 21 November 1990) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer and the Jamaica national team. College soccer Blake spent three years playing college ...
(
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
) and Brian Kaltak (
Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
). It was released by
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
, and also shown on FIFA's own streaming platform, FIFA+.


Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.


2022


Players


Current squad

The following players were called up for the
friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
against the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
on 30 December 2022. :''Information correct as of 24 December 2022''


Recent call-ups

The following footballers were part of a national selection in the past 12 months, but are not part of the current squad.


Individual records


Most-capped players

. Highlighted names denote a player still playing or available for selection.


Top scorers

. Highlighted names denote a player still playing or available for selection.


Competitive record


FIFA World Cup

Although the
Lebanese Football Association The Lebanese Football Association (LFA) ( ar, الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم, Al-Ittiḥād Al-Lubnānī Likurat Al-Qadam; french: Fédération Libanaise de Football) is the governing body of association football in Lebanon. ...
was formed in 1933, Lebanon's first qualification campaign for the
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
took place in the 1986 edition. However, after playing four matches, Lebanon withdrew due to the ongoing
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, and their results were subsequently annulled. The country's first full qualification campaign came two editions later, in
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...
, where they finished third in their group with two wins, four draws, and two losses. Ever since, Lebanon have participated in every iteration of the World Cup qualifiers. Lebanon first reached the final round of World Cup qualification during the 2014 campaign. After beating
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
4–2 on aggregate in the second round, Lebanon qualified to the
third round Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hig ...
, where they were drawn with
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
,
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, and the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
. The team beat South Korea in a historic 2–1 win at home, coming second in their group and qualifying to the fourth (and final) round for the first time. Grouped with
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, South Korea,
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...
, and
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...
, Lebanon finished last in Group A and were eliminated with only one win and two draws in eight games.


AFC Asian Cup

Lebanon's first qualification campaign for the AFC Asian Cup came at the 1972 edition; drawn in Group B of the Western Zone, Lebanon came second thanks to a 3–2 victory over neighbors Syria and advanced to the next stage. In the decisive semi-final match against
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, Lebanon lost 4–1 and were knocked-out. Lebanon won a consolatory third-place match against
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
. The 2000 edition was Lebanon's first participation in the finals, when the country hosted the event. Following a 4–0 defeat to
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
in the competition's opening match, Lebanon came from behind to draw 2–2 against Iraq; Abbas Chahrour became Lebanon's first goalscorer in the competition. Lebanon drew once again, 1–1 against
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, and were eliminated, finishing last in the group. After finishing the 2019 third round of qualification unbeaten, Lebanon qualified to the Asian Cup for the first time in their history. In the
finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
, Lebanon lost the first group stage match 2–0 to eventual champions
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...
, before losing once again by the same score to
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. In the final match of the group, Lebanon needed a win by four goals or more against
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
to qualify to the knock-out stage. Despite conceding an early free-kick goal, Lebanon went on to win the match 4–1 thanks to a brace by
Hilal El-Helwe Hilal Bassam El-Helwe ( ar, هلال بسام الحلوة, ; born 24 November 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Lebanon national team. A versatile forward, he can play both centrally and as a winger on either ...
. However, they lost out to
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
in the third-place ranking due to having received more
yellow cards Yellow card may refer to: * Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas * Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band * Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative conce ...
, and were knocked out of the competition.


Summer Olympic Games

Lebanon's senior team have never qualified to the Summer Olympics final tournament; their first qualification campaign was for Rome 1960. After losing the first two group stage games against
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, Lebanon withdrew and the two remaining matches were awarded to their opponent
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. Lebanon participated in two more qualifications, in
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...
and
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...
, failing to qualify to the final tournament on both occasions. Starting from the 1992 edition, the Olympic Football Tournament has been reserved for national under-23 teams.


FIFA Arab Cup

Lebanon have taken part in all iterations of the
Arab Cup The FIFA Arab Cup ( ar, كأس العرب, translit=Kaʾs al-ʿArab), or simply Arab Cup, is an international association football competition which has been organized by FIFA since 2021, and is contested by the senior men's national teams of ...
, except the
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
and 1992 editions. They hosted the inaugural edition in
1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...
, in a group containing
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
, Syria,
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, and
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
. After beating Kuwait 6–0 through a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
by
Mardik Tchaparian Mardiros Tchaparian ( ar, مارديروس تشاباريان), commonly known as Mardik ( ar, مارديك, links=no), is a Lebanese former footballer who played as a striker. Active during the 1950s and 1960s, he used to play as a striker for ...
, Lebanon lost 3–2 to Syria, before winning 5–0 against Jordan. In a decisive match against Tunisia,
Muhieddine Itani Muhieddine Abdul Razzak Itani (; 6 September 1929 – 5 August 2015), also known as Tabello ( ar, طابللو, links=no), was a Lebanese footballer who played as a full-back. In the early 1950s, Itani began his senior club career at Nejmeh, ...
scored an
own goal An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
, and Lebanon lost 1–0, finishing third. Lebanon finished in fourth place in the subsequent two editions (
1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...
and 1966); ever since, they have failed to pass the group stage.


WAFF Championship

Bar the
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and 2010 editions, Lebanon have participated in every
WAFF Championship The West Asian Football Federation Championship (), or simply WAFF Championship, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), the ...
; however, they have failed to qualify past the group stage on all occasions. Their first participation in the WAFF Championship was in
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
, at the inaugural edition. Drawn with
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, hosts
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, and
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...
, Lebanon finished third in their group with one win, one draw, and one loss.


Pan Arab Games

After participating in the inaugural edition of the
Pan Arab Games The Arab Games ( ar, الألعاب العربية), also called the Pan Arab Games, are a regional multi-sport event held between nations from the Arab world. They are organized by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees. The first Gam ...
, at Alexandria 1953, Lebanon hosted the 1957 edition. Topping a group containing Syria,
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, and
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, Lebanon reached the semi-finals where they lost 4–2 to
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
. Due to
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
withdrawing from the third-place match, Lebanon finished the tournament in third place. Lebanon also came third in
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
, once again as hosts. With two draws and a win, Lebanon came second in their group and qualified to the semi-finals, which they lost
after extra time Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played onl ...
to Syria. Lebanon finished in third place after beating
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
3–1.


Asian Games

The Lebanon national senior team only participated once at the Asian Games, at Bangkok 1998. Thanks to a 5–1 win against
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
, Lebanon qualified past the preliminary round and were drawn with
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...
,
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, and
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
in the second round. Following two 1–0 defeats, respectively to Qatar and Thailand, Lebanon won 3–0 against Kazakhstan in their final encounter of the group stage. However, the three points weren't enough to qualify Lebanon to the knockout round.


Mediterranean Games

Lebanon's first participation at the Mediterranean Games was in
1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
, when they hosted the event. They lost both legs against Italy B and Turkey B, finishing last with no points. Lebanon's senior team participated two more times, in
1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...
and
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
, failing to qualify past the group stage on both occasions.


Other tournaments

Lebanon won their first tournament—albeit unofficial—at the 1964 Tripoli Fair Tournament; with three wins and one draw, Lebanon finished first in a group containing Libya, Morocco, Sudan, and Malta. In 1998, Lebanon participated at the
Friendship Tournament The UAE Four Nations Friendship Tournament, or simply Friendship Tournament ( ar, بطولة الصداقة), was an international football tournament held in the United Arab Emirates between four teams from 1986 to 2001. The United Arab Emirates ...
in the United Arab Emirates where, with two draws and a defeat, they finished in third place out of four. Lebanon also finished in third place at the 2009 King's Cup in Thailand; after losing to the hosts in the semi-finals, they won against North Korea in the third-place match.


See also

*
List of men's national association football teams This is a listof the men's national association football teams in the world. There are more nations with football teams than for any other sport, with teams representing 191 of the 193 UN member states, as well as several dependent territori ...
*
Lebanese Premier League The Lebanese First Division ( ar, الدوري اللبناني الدرجة الأولى), commonly known as the Lebanese Premier League (), is the top division of the Lebanese football league system. There are 12 teams competing in the league, ...
*
Lebanese football league system The Lebanese football league system (), also known as the Lebanese football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in Lebanon. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between l ...
*
Football in Lebanon Football is the most popular sport in Lebanon. It was introduced to Lebanon in the late-19th century, becoming particularly popular among teachers and students Christian schools. The Lebanese Football Association (LFA) was formed in 1933 as one ...
* Sport in Lebanon


Notes and references


Notes


References


Bibliography

* *


External links

*
FIFA team profile

AFC team profile

WAFF team profile

ELO team records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lebanon national football team Asian national association football teams Football teams in Lebanon National sports teams established in 1933