 | |||
| Nickname | الأحمر (The Red) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Bahrain Football Association (BFA) | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | WAFF (West Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Dragan Talajić | ||
| Captain | Sayed Dhiya Saeed | ||
| Mostcaps | Sayed Mohammed Jaffer (163) | ||
| Top scorer | Ismail Abdullatif (48) | ||
| Home stadium | Bahrain National Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | BHR | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 90 (19 January 2026)[1] | ||
| Highest | 44 (September 2004) | ||
| Lowest | 139 (March 2000) | ||
| First international | |||
 Bahrain 4–4Kuwait  (Baghdad,Iraq; 2 April 1966) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
 Bahrain10–0Indonesia  (Riffa,Bahrain; 29 February 2012) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Iraq 10–1Bahrain (Baghdad,Iraq; 5 April 1966) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in2006) | ||
| Best result | Play-off round (2006,2010) | ||
| Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 8 (first in1988) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2004) | ||
| Arab Cup | |||
| Appearances | 6 (first in1966) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (1985,2002) | ||
| WAFF Championship | |||
| Appearances | 4 (first in2010) | ||
| Best result | Champions (2019) | ||
| Arabian Gulf Cup | |||
| Appearances | 26 (first in1970) | ||
| Best result | Champions (2019,2024–25) | ||
TheBahrain national football team (Arabic:منتخب الْبَحرَيْن لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم) representsBahrain in internationalfootball and is controlled by theBahrain Football Association, which was founded in 1951. The country is affiliated withFIFA since 1968 and has been a member of theAFC since 1957. They have never reached the FIFA World Cup.
Bahrain won the FIFA's most improved team award in 2004, and finished fourth at the2004 AFC Asian Cup, beatingUzbekistan in the quarter-finals but losing toJapan in the semi-finals 4–3. Bahrain then lost toIran in the third-place match, thus finishing in fourth place overall. Bahrain had a golden year in 2019, winning both theWAFF Championship and theArabian Gulf Cup for the first time, under the stewardship ofHélio Sousa. On 4 January 2025, Bahrain won the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup, defeatingOman 2–1.[3]
Although Bahrain’s first national football team was established in 1959, the side was not officially organized until 1966, when it played a friendly match againstKuwait that ended in a 4–4 draw. During this period, Bahrain, despite remaining under British influence, had been granted a degree of autonomy that allowed the country to develop its football infrastructure. Historically, Bahrain was considered one of the weaker teams in the Gulf region, which included stronger sides such asSaudi Arabia,Qatar, theUnited Arab Emirates, andKuwait. As a result, Bahrain’s early international participation was largely limited to theArabian Gulf Cup.
Bahrain qualified for its firstAFC Asian Cup in1988, but finished at the bottom of its group with two draws. In the years that followed, the senior national team received limited attention and investment, despite notable achievements at youth levels, particularly with theunder-17 andunder-20 teams. It was not until the late 20th century that Bahrain began to show significant improvement, marking a turning point in the development of football in the country.
Bahrain delivered notable performances during the qualification campaigns for the2000 AFC Asian Cup and the2002 FIFA World Cup, reaching the final round of World Cup qualifying for the first time. Although the team did not qualify in either competition, Bahrain recorded significant victories overIran—winning 1–0 inAleppo during the2000 Asian Cup qualifiers and 3–1 at home during the2002 World Cup qualifiers. The latter result had implications for the regional qualification standings, as it prevented Iran from securing a direct World Cup berth and contributed toSaudi Arabia’s qualification. The match subsequently drew attention due to celebrations by some Bahraini supporters, which added to existing tensions between the two countries’ football fan bases.[4]
Bahrain delivered a strong performance at the2004 AFC Asian Cup in only its second appearance in the tournament. Drawn into a group with hostsChina,Qatar, andIndonesia, the team progressed through the group stage undefeated, earning a 2–2 draw against China inBeijing, a 1–1 draw with Qatar, and a 3–1 victory over Indonesia to advance to the quarter-finals for the first time. Bahrain then defeatedUzbekistan on penalties after a 2–2 draw in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, Bahrain narrowly lost 4–3 after extra time to defending championsJapan, before falling 4–2 toIran in the third-place match. The team’s performance in the tournament is regarded as a significant milestone in the development of Bahraini football.
After bothUzbekistan and Bahrain finished third in their respective groups during the2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the two teams met in a two-legged AFC playoff. Bahrain advanced on the away goals rule after a 1–1 aggregate draw. This result qualified Bahrain for an inter-confederation playoff against the fourth-placedCONCACAF team,Trinidad and Tobago, for a place at the World Cup. The first leg ended 1–1 inPort of Spain, but Bahrain lost the return match 1–0 inManama, allowing Trinidad and Tobago to qualify for the World Cup for the first time.
Bahrain competed inGroup D during thequalification stage for the2007 AFC Asian Cup. The team fielded a largelyunder-23 squad in its match againstAustralia, which ended in a 2–0 defeat. Bahrain ultimately secured qualification by defeatingKuwait in their final group match. At the tournament, Bahrain were eliminated in the group stage after losses toIndonesia andSaudi Arabia, despite recording an upset victory over theKorea Republic.
In thethird round of the2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Bahrain were placed inGroup B alongsideJapan,Oman, andThailand, finishing second to advance to the final round. In the final group stage, Bahrain placed third behindAustralia andJapan, but ahead ofUzbekistan andQatar. This set up a two-legged playoff againstSaudi Arabia to determine Asia’s fifth-placed team. After a 0–0 draw in the home leg, Bahrain earned a 2–2 draw in Riyadh with a stoppage-time goal, progressing on the away goals rule.
Bahrain then facedNew Zealand in the inter-confederation playoff, where a win would have secured their first World Cup appearance. The first leg in Manama ended goalless on 10 October 2009, and Bahrain were defeated 1–0 in the return leg in Wellington on 14 November 2009, narrowly missing out on qualification for a second consecutive cycle.
Bahrain qualified for the2011 AFC Asian Cup, hosted by neighbouring Qatar, and were placed in a group withAustralia,South Korea, andIndia. In their opening match, Bahrain faced South Korea in an attempt to replicate their 2–1 victory from the 2007 tournament, but South Korea came from behind to win by the same scoreline. Bahrain then kept their qualification hopes alive with a 5–2 win over India. However, a 1–0 defeat to Australia in their final group match resulted in Bahrain’s elimination at the group stage.
In the2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Bahrain did considerably worse. In thethird round, they were drawn againstIndonesia,Iran andQatar. Although they managed to defeat Indonesia both home and away, they also lost 6–0 by Iran away from home, and drew their other 3 games. Although they had a higher goal difference than Qatar, they needed an extra point to advance to the next round, or Qatar had to be beaten by Iran in the final round. If they had also drawn to Iran away from home, they would have advanced. But neither luck came to them, and their campaign ended in the third round, their worst result since the1998 World Cup qualifiers.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |  | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 5 | +12 | 12 | Fourth round | — | 2–2 | 6–0 | 3–0 | |
| 2 | Qatar | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 10 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 3 | Bahrain | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 9 | 1–1 | 0–0 | — | 10–0 | ||
| 4 | Indonesia | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 26 | −23 | 0 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 0–2 | — |
The2015 AFC Asian Cup once again became a disappointment for the Bahrainis, even though their group was easier, with only Iran being the biggest opponent while the UAE and Qatar were no strangers. Bahrain lost two opening games against Iran and the UAE 0–2 and 1–2, the latter defeat was subject to the earliest goal in Asian Cup history byAli Mabkhout. Bahrain salvaged some pride with a 2–1 win over Qatar, condemning its neighbour to bottom of the group while Bahrain finished third for the second consecutive Asian Cup.
In the2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers second round, Bahrain finished fourth in a group withUzbekistan,North Korea,Philippines andYemen. The poor performance of the Bahraini side caused huge public uproar over the team's ongoing decline, rocked the chair of managerSergio Batista. He was eventually sacked and replaced by Czech youth coachMiroslav Soukup, who decided to revamp the team.
Later on, Bahrain participated in the2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification, where finished first in the third round in a group withTurkmenistan,Chinese Taipei andSingapore, to qualify to the next AFC Asian Cup. However, the team's performance was far from perfect. The team suffered a home draw to minnows Singapore, before getting humiliated by Chinese Taipei away 1–2 that was considered as a shock, since Taiwan is not a football nation. This defeat also prompted Bahrain's main star,Ismail Abdullatif, to retire from the team.
Bahrain managed some promising performance during this deteriorating era, reaching semi-finals of the23rd Arabian Gulf Cup held in Kuwait.
At the2019 AFC Asian Cup, Bahrain was grouped withIndia,Thailand and hostsUnited Arab Emirates. The Bahrainis managed a promising early performance when they faced the hosts, scored a goal lead in 78', but was eventually held 1–1 following an unclear penalty decision by the Jordanian refereeAdham Makhadmeh. However, Bahrain suffered a blasting loss to Thailand 0–1, leaving the team flounder despite its earlier performance. In the final match against India, which the Indians only required a draw to progress, Bahrain however managed to get a needed penalty in injury time, whereJamal Rashid turned hero as Bahrain won the fixture 1–0 to seal the team into the knockout stage for the only second times ever, and eliminated the Indians from the competition. The Bahraini side then played its own round of sixteen match, where they lost 2–1 toSouth Korea after extra time. This was considered as a major success for Bahraini football, and also to be the end of the country's football misfortune that endured since 2010s.
Afterwards, Bahrain managed to win two competitions for the first time, after defeating bothIraq andSaudi Arabia, 1–0 under the leadership ofHélio Sousa against all odds, in theWAFF Championship andGulf Cup respectively.[6][7]
Bahrain defeated Iran 1–0 in the2022 FIFA World Cup Qualification Round 2, delivering a major upset in the qualifying process, and with Bahrain enjoying huge edge in the qualifiers, Bahrain was expected to reach the third round. However, due toCOVID-19 pandemic, Bahrain's great progression in 2019 was reversed when it lost significant home supports (despite being designated as hosts for the remaining games) due to pandemic, as fans were barred from attending, Iran having replaced manager as well, combining theBahrain's domestic league under frequent disruption due to the pandemic, all left Bahraini players little time to organise their team. Bahrain triumphed againstCambodia 8–0 in their first game since the pandemic began, but against an Iranian side that was entirely revamped, a Bahraini side without home support was completely demoralised, losing 0–3 in process. This defeat proved to be disastrous for Bahrain, as their 4–0 victory overHong Kong[8] was too little, too late, due to Iran prevailing 1–0 over Iraq in the final game.
In the2023 AFC Asian Cup, Bahrain won their group (which contained Malaysia, South Korea, and Jordan). After a first matchday loss to South Korea, they followed it up with back-to-back wins, before falling to Japan in the Round of 16.
Bahrain's2026 World Cup qualifying campaign had been the worst since their return to the final round in 16 years. After dominating thesecond round with ease, Bahrain started thethird round with a glorious shock 1–0 away win over Australia in the opener, triggering widespread optimism of Bahrain's fulfillment of qualifying for a maiden FIFA World Cup. Yet, what followed later had been a string of catastrophic defeats, such as consecutive losses to Japan, and three shock losses to China and Indonesia, despite being unbeaten to Australia and a goalless away draw to Saudi Arabia, and their conquest at the26th Arabian Gulf Cup. In particular, the shock 1–0 home defeat to China, as well as the similar shock away loss by the same scoreline against Indonesia, were particularly damaging as they contributed to Bahrain's WCQ collapse. More noteworthy, after winning the Gulf Cup in early January 2025, Bahrain failed to score in four consecutive WCQ fixtures while conceded six in total, suggesting Bahrain had severe issues in finding reliable strikers throughout the remainders. In the end, Bahrain finished bottom of the table with only five goals (the worst offensive power in the third round) and just two sole goalscorers,Mahdi Abduljabbar andMohamed Marhoon, to end the country's forgettable final round campaign as Bahrain's2026 FIFA World Cup quest ended in disaster as Bahrain missed out of a spot for the World Cup again.
| Kit manufacturer | Period |
|---|---|
 Umbro | 1981 |
 Puma | 1982 |
 Grand Sport | 1983–1986 |
 Faisok | 1986 |
| Grand Sport | 1987–1996 |
| Puma | 1997 |
| Baraka Sports | 1998–1999 |
 Kika | 2000–2002 |
| Shoot Sports | 2002–2003 |
 Diadora | 2003–2005 |
| Puma | 2005–2014 |
 Romai[9][10] | 2014–2018 |
 Macron[11] | 2019–2022 |
| Puma | 2023–present |
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
v Bahrain| 22 December26th Arabian Gulf Cup GS | Saudi Arabia | 2–3 | Bahrain | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 20:30 UTC+3 | Report |
| Stadium:Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 7,726 Referee: Ahmad Al-Ali (Kuwait) |
v Iraq| 25 December26th Arabian Gulf Cup GS | Bahrain | 2–0 | Iraq | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 20:30 UTC+3 | Madan 38',47' | Report | Stadium:Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 13,150 Referee:Halil Umut Meler (Turkey) |
v
Yemen| 28 December26th Arabian Gulf Cup GS | Bahrain | 1–2 | Yemen | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 17:30 UTC+3 | Al-Romaihi 62' | Report |
| Stadium:Sulaibikhat Stadium Attendance: 4,293 Referee: Omar Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates) |
v Kuwait| 31 December26th Arabian Gulf Cup SF | Bahrain | 1–0 | Kuwait | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 20:45 UTC+3 |
| Report | Stadium:Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 60,122 Referee:István Kovács (Romania) |
v Bahrain| 4 January26th Arabian Gulf Cup F | Oman | 1–2 | Bahrain | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 19:00 UTC+3 |
| Report |
| Stadium:Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 57,674 Referee:Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar) |
v Bahrain| 20 MarchWorld Cup qualification R3 | Japan | 2–0 | Bahrain | Saitama, Japan |
| 19:35 UTC+9 | Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) | Stadium:Saitama Stadium 2002 Attendance: 58,137 Referee:Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar) |
v Bahrain| 25 MarchWorld Cup qualification R3 | Indonesia | 1–0 | Bahrain | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| 20:45 UTC+7 |
| Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) | Stadium:Gelora Bung Karno Stadium Attendance: 69,599 Referee: Sadullo Gulmurodi (Tajikistan) |
v Saudi Arabia| 5 JuneWorld Cup qualification R3 | Bahrain | 0–2 | Saudi Arabia | Riffa, Bahrain |
| Report | Stadium:Bahrain National Stadium Attendance: 15,075 Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan) |
v Bahrain| 10 JuneWorld Cup qualification R3 | China | 1–0 | Bahrain | Chongqing, China |
| 19:00 UTC+8 |
| Report | Stadium:Longxing Football Stadium Referee: Adel Al-Naqbi (United Arab Emirates) |
v Bahrain| 16 JulyHybrid friendly | Istra 1961 | 3–1 | Bahrain | Maribor, Slovenia |
| 17:30 UTC+2 | Stadium:Ljudski vrt |
v Bahrain| 22 JulyHybrid friendly | ND Primorje | 1–2 | Bahrain | Maribor, Slovenia |
| 16:20 UTC+2 | Stadium:Ljudski vrt |
v Bahrain| 3 SeptemberClosed friendly | Qatar | 2–2 | Bahrain | Doha, Qatar |
| 19:15 UTC+3 |
| Stadium:Al Thumama Stadium |
v Bahrain| 8 SeptemberFriendly | United Arab Emirates | 1–0 | Bahrain | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| 19:30 UTC+3 |
| Report | Stadium:Zabeel Stadium |
v Bahrain| 9 OctoberFriendly | Morocco | 1–0 | Bahrain | Rabat, Morocco |
| 20:00 UTC+1 | El Yamiq 90+4' | Report | Stadium:Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium Attendance: Sadok Selmi (Tunisia) |
v
Egypt| 13 OctoberFriendly | Bahrain | 0–4 | Egypt | Mohammedia, Morocco |
| 20:00 UTC+1 | Stadium:El Bachir Stadium |
v
Somalia| 17 NovemberFriendly | Bahrain | 1–2 | Somalia | Riffa, Bahrain |
| 18:30 UTC+3 |
| Report | Stadium:Bahrain National Stadium Referee: Saud Al-Samhan (Kuwait) |
v
Djibouti| 26 November2025 FIFA Arab Cup | Bahrain | 1–0 | Djibouti | Doha, Qatar |
| 13:00 UTC+3 |
| Stadium:Jassim bin Hamad Stadium |
v Bahrain| 3 December2025 FIFA Arab Cup | Iraq | 2–1 | Bahrain | Doha, Qatar |
| 17:30 UTC+3 | Report |
| Stadium:Stadium 974 Attendance: 9,358 Referee: Pierre Atcho (Gabon) |
v
Algeria| 6 December2025 FIFA Arab Cup | Bahrain | 1–5 | Algeria | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 16:30 UTC+3 |
| Report | Stadium:Khalifa International Stadium Attendance: 20,260 Referee: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (New Zealand Football |
v
Sudan| 9 December2025 FIFA Arab Cup | Bahrain | 3–1 | Sudan | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 20:00 UTC+3 |
| Report | Stadium:Education City Stadium Attendance: 21,386 Referee:Juan Gabriel Benítez (Paraguay) |
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Dragan Talajić |
| Assistant coaches | Goran Lacković |
| Ahmed Kamal | |
| Fitness Coach | Matej Filipić |
| Team manager | Mahmoud Riyad |
Caretaker managers are listed initalics.
Jassim Al-Maawada andAbdul-Salam Alam (1966)
Hamada El-Sharqawi (1970–1974)
Danny McLennan (1974–1975)
Adnan Ayoub andKhalifa Al-Hamdan (1975)
Jack Mansell (1976)Mal Thompson andMichael Gorman (1979)
Ljubiša Broćić (1979–1981)Farouq Ahmed Ali (1981)
Sebastião Pereira de Araújo (1982–1984, 1992–1993)Keith Burkinshaw (1984–1986)Robbie Stepney (1986–1987)
Abdelmajid Chetali (1988)Mohamed Al-Arabi Al-Zouaui (1988)Uli Maslo (1990–1992)Faisal Alshehabı (2007)
Ivan Čabrinović (1994)
Victor Stănculescu (1995–1996)Fuad Boshqar (1996)
Josef Hickersberger (1997)
Ernesto Rosa Guedes (1998)Alexandru Moldovan (1999)Ahmed D. Al Jalahama (2000)Wolfgang Sidka (2001–2002, 2005)
Yves Herbet (2003)Srećko Juričić (2003–2005)Luka Peruzović (2005–2006)Riyadh Al-Thawadi (2006)Hans-Peter Briegel (2006–2007)
Senad Kreso (2007)
Milan Máčala (2008–2010)Josef Hickersberger (2010)Marjan Eid (2010)Salman Sharida (2010–2011)Peter Taylor (2011–2012)
Gabriel Calderón (2012–2013)Anthony Hudson (2013–2014)Adnan Hamad (2014)Marjan Eid (2014–2015)Sergio Batista (2015–2016)Miroslav Soukup (2016–2019)
Hélio Sousa (2019–2023)
Juan Antonio Pizzi (2023–2024)Dragan Talajić (2024– )The following players were called up for the2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games againstSaudi Arabia andChina in June 2025.[13]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Abdulkarim Fardan | (1992-04-25)25 April 1992 (age 33) | 1 | 0 | Al-Riffa |
| 21 | 1GK | Sayed Mohammed Jaffer | (1985-08-25)25 August 1985 (age 40) | 163 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
| 22 | 1GK | Ebrahim Lutfalla | (1992-09-24)24 September 1992 (age 33) | 34 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
| 2 | 2DF | Amine Benaddi | (1993-05-09)9 May 1993 (age 32) | 37 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
| 3 | 2DF | Waleed Al Hayam | (1988-11-04)4 November 1988 (age 37) | 125 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
| 5 | 2DF | Hamad Al-Shamsan | (1997-09-29)29 September 1997 (age 28) | 33 | 0 | Al-Riffa |
| 13 | 2DF | Vincent Emmanuel | (2001-04-29)29 April 2001 (age 24) | 10 | 0 | Sitra |
| 16 | 2DF | Sayed Baqer | (1994-04-14)14 April 1994 (age 31) | 41 | 2 | Al-Riffa |
| 19 | 2DF | Hazza Ali | (1995-06-09)9 June 1995 (age 30) | 14 | 0 | Al-Riffa |
| 23 | 2DF | Abdulla Al-Khulasi | (2003-09-02)2 September 2003 (age 22) | 21 | 1 | Al-Muharraq |
| 2DF | Ahmed Bughammar | (1997-12-30)30 December 1997 (age 28) | 27 | 1 | Al-Khaldiya | |
| 2DF | Mahmood Al-Moosawi | (2004-03-27)27 March 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Al-Shabab | |
| 4 | 3MF | Sayed Dhiya Saeed | (1992-07-17)17 July 1992 (age 33) | 128 | 8 | Al-Khaldiya |
| 6 | 3MF | Hussain Al-Eker | (2001-09-30)30 September 2001 (age 24) | 4 | 0 | Al-Riffa |
| 7 | 3MF | Ali Madan | (1995-11-30)30 November 1995 (age 30) | 101 | 15 | Ajman |
| 8 | 3MF | Mohamed Marhoon | (1998-02-12)12 February 1998 (age 28) | 78 | 19 | Kuwait SC |
| 9 | 3MF | Ebrahim Al-Khattal | (2000-09-19)19 September 2000 (age 25) | 28 | 4 | Manama |
| 10 | 3MF | Kamil Al-Aswad(captain) | (1994-04-08)8 April 1994 (age 31) | 119 | 13 | Al-Arabi |
| 14 | 3MF | Ali Haram | (1988-12-11)11 December 1988 (age 37) | 58 | 5 | Al-Riffa |
| 15 | 3MF | Jasim Al-Shaikh | (1996-02-01)1 February 1996 (age 30) | 67 | 4 | Al-Riffa |
| 18 | 3MF | Ahmed Al-Sherooqi | (2000-05-22)22 May 2000 (age 25) | 9 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
| 20 | 3MF | Mahdi Al-Humaidan | (1993-05-19)19 May 1993 (age 32) | 73 | 7 | Al-Zawraa |
| 3MF | Sayed Al-Wadaei | (2008-07-08)8 July 2008 (age 17) | 1 | 0 | Villarreal Juvenil | |
| 11 | 4FW | Ismail Abdullatif | (1986-09-11)11 September 1986 (age 39) | 136 | 48 | Al-Khaldiya |
| 12 | 4FW | Mahdi Abduljabbar | (1991-06-25)25 June 1991 (age 34) | 46 | 13 | Al-Khaldiya |
| 17 | 4FW | Husain Abdulkarim | (2002-05-14)14 May 2002 (age 23) | 10 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
The following players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Ammar Mohamed | (1999-02-10)10 February 1999 (age 27) | 3 | 0 | Al-Khaldiya | 26th Arabian Gulf Cup |
| DF | Mohamed Adel | (1996-09-20)20 September 1996 (age 29) | 38 | 0 | Al-Khaldiya | 26th Arabian Gulf Cup |
| DF | Ahmed Nabeel | (1995-08-25)25 August 1995 (age 30) | 11 | 0 | Manama | v. Australia, 19 November 2024 |
| DF | Mohamed Al-Banna | (1989-10-17)17 October 1989 (age 36) | 2 | 0 | Al-Muharraq | v. Yemen, 6 June 2024 |
| MF | Hasan Al-Karrani | (1997-11-27)27 November 1997 (age 28) | 2 | 0 | Al-Muharraq | v. Nepal, 26 March 2024 |
| MF | Abdulwahab Al-Malood | (1990-06-07)7 June 1990 (age 35) | 86 | 5 | Al-Muharraq | 26th Arabian Gulf Cup |
| MF | Abbas Al-Asfoor | (1999-02-02)2 February 1999 (age 27) | 16 | 0 | Al-Ahli | 26th Arabian Gulf Cup |
| MF | Moses Atede | (1997-12-17)17 December 1997 (age 28) | 8 | 0 |  Kuching City | v. Australia, 19 November 2024 |
| MF | Sayed Sharaf | (2002-12-23)23 December 2002 (age 23) | 0 | 0 | Al-Ahli | v. Saudi Arabia, 15 October 2024 |
| MF | Mohamed Al-Hardan | (1997-10-06)6 October 1997 (age 28) | 29 | 2 | Al-Muharraq | v. Nepal, 26 March 2024 |
| FW | Mohamed Al-Romaihi | (1990-09-09)9 September 1990 (age 35) | 53 | 17 | Al-Khaldiya | v. Saudi Arabia, 5 June 2025INJ |
| FW | Hashim Sayed Isa | (1998-04-03)3 April 1998 (age 27) | 19 | 6 | Al-Riffa | v. Saudi Arabia, 15 October 2024 |
| FW | Abdulla Yusuf Helal | (1993-06-12)12 June 1993 (age 32) | 89 | 13 | Bohemians 1905 | v. United Arab Emirates, 11 June 2024 |
INJ Withdrew due to injury | ||||||
| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sayed Mohammed Jaffer | 163 | 0 | 2004–2024 |
| 2 | Mohamed Husain | 161 | 10 | 1997–2015 |
| 3 | Salman Isa | 160 | 24 | 2000–2012 |
| 4 | Mohamed Salmeen | 148 | 11 | 2000–2013 |
| 5 | Ismail Abdullatif | 138 | 48 | 2005–present |
| 6 | Sayed Dhiya Saeed | 133 | 8 | 2011–present |
| 7 | Waleed Al-Hayam | 127 | 0 | 2010–present |
| 8 | Sayed Mahmood Jalal | 125 | 6 | 1998–2010 |
| 9 | Hussain Ali Baba | 124 | 8 | 2001–2016 |
| 10 | Kamil Al-Aswad | 122 | 14 | 2015–present |
| Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ismail Abdullatif | 48 | 138 | 0.35 | 2005–present |
| 2 | Husain Ali | 33 | 115 | 0.29 | 1998–2013 |
| 3 | Talal Yousef | 28 | 118 | 0.24 | 1998–2009 |
| 4 | A'ala Hubail | 26 | 88 | 0.3 | 2003–2009 |
| 5 | Salman Isa | 24 | 160 | 0.15 | 2001–2012 |
| 6 | Faouzi Aaish | 20 | 104 | 0.19 | 2004–2016 |
| 7 | Mohamed Marhoon | 19 | 81 | 0.23 | 2018–present |
| 8 | Mohamed Al-Romaihi | 17 | 56 | 0.3 | 2010–present |
| 9 | Ali Madan | 15 | 105 | 0.14 | 2016–present |
| 10 | Kamil Al-Aswad | 14 | 122 | 0.11 | 2015–present |
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1930 | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||
 1934 | ||||||||||||||||
 1938 | ||||||||||||||||
 1950 | ||||||||||||||||
 1954 | ||||||||||||||||
 1958 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | ||||||||||||||
 1962 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1966 | ||||||||||||||||
 1970 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1974 | ||||||||||||||||
 1978 | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | |||||||||
| 1982 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 1986 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 1990 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
 1994 | Did not qualify | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 6 | |||||||||
| 1998 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 2002 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 13 | ||||||||||
| 2006 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 14 | ||||||||||
 2010 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 17 | ||||||||||
| 2014 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 | ||||||||||
 2018 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 4 | ||||||||||
 2026 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 19 | ||||||||||
 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| 2034 | ||||||||||||||||
 2038 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 0/26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 112 | 39 | 33 | 40 | 136 | 117 | ||
| AFC Asian Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1956 | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||
 1960 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1964 | ||||||||||||||||
 1968 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1972 | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | |||||||||
| 1976 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
| 1980 | Withdrew after qualifying | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||
 1984 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
| 1988 | Group stage | 9th | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Squad | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
 1992 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
| 1996 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
 2000 | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
| 2004 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 14 | Squad | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 9 | |
 2007 | Group stage | 13th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | Squad | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2011 | 10th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | Squad | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 2015 | 12th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | Squad | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Round of 16 | 14th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Squad | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 13 | |
| 2023 | 15th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | Squad | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 4 | ||
| 2027 | Qualified | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 3 | |||||||||
| Total | Fourth place | 8/19 | 27 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 33 | 44 | — | 68 | 33 | 10 | 23 | 106 | 62 | |
| Arabian Gulf Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| 1970 | Runners-up | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
 1972 | Record annulled | ||||||||
| 1974 | Group stage | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1976 | Fourth place | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 15 | ||
 1979 | Fourth place | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9 | ||
| 1982 | Runners-up | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | ||
 1984 | Fifth place | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 1986 | Fifth place | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1988 | Fourth place | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1990 | Third place | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1992 | Runners-up | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1994 | Third place | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 1996 | Fifth place | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | ||
| 1998 | Fifth place | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2002 | Fourth place | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Runners-up | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 3 | ||
| 2004 | Third place | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | ||
| 2007 | Semi-finals | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 2009 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2010 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | ||
| 2013 | Fourth place | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | ||
| 2014 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2017–18 | Semi-finals | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 2019 | Champions | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 2023 | Semi-finals | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | ||
| 2026 | Qualified as defending champions | ||||||||
| Total | Champions | 26/26 | 116 | 38 | 35 | 43 | 118 | 139 | — |
| FIFA Arab Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
 1963 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| 1964 | |||||||||
| 1966 | Group stage | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 22 | ||
| 1985 | Runners-up | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | ||
 1988 | Group stage | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
 1992 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| 1998 | Withdrew | ||||||||
| 2002 | Runners-up | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | ||
| 2012 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2021 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Total | Runners-up | 6/10 | 24 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 45 | — |
| Asian Games record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1951 to 1970 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 1974 | 15th place | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 15 | |
| 1978 | 14th place | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | |
 1982 | Did not enter | |||||||
 1986 | 12th place | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1990 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 1994 | 10th place | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
| 1998 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 2002 to present | SeeBahrain national under-23 football team | |||||||
| Total | 4/13 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 37 | |
| Arab Games record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
 1953 | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1957 | |||||||
| 1961 | |||||||
| 1965 | |||||||
 1976 | |||||||
| 1985 | |||||||
| 1997 | |||||||
| 1999 | First round | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 2007 | Did not enter | ||||||
| 2011 | Champions | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
| Total | 2/10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 9 |
| WAFF Championship record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | |
| 2000 | Did not participate | ||||||||
| 2002 | |||||||||
| 2004 | |||||||||
| 2007 | |||||||||
| 2008 | |||||||||
| 2010 | Group stage | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | –1 | |
| 2012 | Fourth place | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | |
| 2014 | Third place | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | –1 | |
| 2019 | Champions | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | |
| 2026 | Qualified | ||||||||
| Total | 4/9 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 6 | +2 | |
Positive Record Neutral Record Negative Record
| Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal scored | Goal against | % Won[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Albania | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 100% |
| Algeria | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 33.33% |
 Angola | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| Australia | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 12.5% |
 Azerbaijan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 0% |
 Bangladesh | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
 Belarus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Brazil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
 Brunei | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 100% |
 Burkina Faso | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 100% |
 Burundi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
 Cambodia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 100% |
| Canada | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 50% |
 Cape Verde | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
 Chad | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| Chile | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| China | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 0% |
 Chinese Taipei | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 66.67% |
 Colombia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0% |
 Congo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 100% |
 Curaçao | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
 Denmark | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| Djibouti | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
 DR Congo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Egypt | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
 Finland | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 10% |
 Haiti | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 100% |
 Hong Kong | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 78.57% |
 Iceland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 50% |
| India | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 92.86% |
| Indonesia | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 10 | 33.33% |
| Iran | 19 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 32 | 36.84% |
| Iraq | 32 | 5 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 52 | 15.63% |
| Japan | 15 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 33 | 13.33% |
| Jordan | 31 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 26 | 35 | 35.48% |
 Kazakhstan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
 Kenya | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 100% |
| Kuwait | 44 | 14 | 11 | 19 | 41 | 59 | 44.32% |
 Kyrgyzstan | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 81.25% |
| Lebanon | 15 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 23 | 18 | 66.67% |
 Libya | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 50% |
| Malaysia | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 34 | 17 | 71.88% |
 Maldives | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 100% |
 Mauritania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Morocco | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0% |
 Myanmar | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 80% |
 Netherlands | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0% |
| Nepal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 100% |
 New Zealand | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 10% |
 North Korea | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 35.71% |
 North Macedonia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
 Norway | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Oman | 40 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 37 | 33 | 51.25% |
 Pakistan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0% |
 Palestine | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 50% |
 Panama | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 50% |
| Paraguay | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
 Philippines | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 71.43% |
| Qatar | 40 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 30 | 34 | 42.5% |
| Saudi Arabia | 39 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 26 | 57 | 17.95% |
 Serbia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0% |
| Singapore | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 6 | 85% |
 Slovakia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% |
 South Korea | 25 | 3 | 5 | 17 | 21 | 58 | 12% |
| Somalia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
 Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Sudan | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 75% |
| Sweden | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0% |
 Syria | 23 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 25 | 41.3% |
 Tajikistan | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 80% |
| Thailand | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 30% |
 Togo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 100% |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25% |
 Tunisia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 50% |
 Turkmenistan | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 83.33% |
 Uganda | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 75% |
 Ukraine | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| United Arab Emirates | 32 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 46 | 53 | 37.5% |
 Uzbekistan | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 45.45% |
| Vietnam | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0% |
| Yemen | 16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 31 | 8 | 86.67% |
 Zimbabwe | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 100% |
| Total | 625 | 222 | 164 | 239 | 771 | 797 | 035.52 |
Gold medal (1):2011
Bahrain squads –AFC Asian Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bahrain AFC Asian Cup finalists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| National teams |
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| League system |
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| Domestic cups |
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