 | |||
| Nickname(s) | رجال الأرز (The Cedars) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Lebanese Football Association (LFA) (الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم) | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | WAFF (West Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Miodrag Radulović | ||
| Captain | Mohamad Haidar | ||
| Mostcaps | Hassan Maatouk (123) | ||
| Top scorer | Hassan Maatouk (26) | ||
| Home stadium | Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | LBN | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 107 3 (19 November 2025)[1] | ||
| Highest | 77 (September 2018) | ||
| Lowest | 178 (April–May 2011) | ||
| First international | |||
 Mandatory Palestine5–1Lebanon  (Tel Aviv,Mandatory Palestine; 27 April 1940) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
 Lebanon 11–1Philippines  (Tokyo, Japan; 28 September 1967) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Iraq 8–0Lebanon (Baghdad, Iraq; 25 November 1959)  Qatar 8–0Lebanon (Doha, Qatar; 27 March 1985) | |||
| Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in2000) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2000,2019,2023) | ||
| Arab Cup | |||
| Appearances | 8 (first in1963) | ||
| Best result | Third place (1963) | ||
| WAFF Championship | |||
| Appearances | 7 (first in2000) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (2000,2002,2004,2007,2012,2014,2019) | ||
| Website | the-lfa | ||
TheLebanon national football team,[a] controlled by theLebanese Football Association (LFA), have representedLebanon inassociation football since their inception in 1933. The squad is governed by theAsian Football Confederation (AFC) continentally, andFIFA worldwide. While Lebanon have yet to qualify for theFIFA World Cup, they have qualified three times to theAFC Asian Cup: they first participated in2000, when they hosted the event. Lebanon's main venue is theCamille Chamoun Sports City Stadium inBeirut; however, they also play in other locations such as theSaida Municipal Stadium inSidon.
Having joined FIFA in 1936, Lebanon played theirfirst FIFA-recognised game in 1940 againstMandatory Palestine. During their2014 qualification campaign for the World Cup, Lebanon reached thefinal qualifying round for the first time thanks to a 2–1 victory againstSouth Korea at home in 2011, but failed to qualify for the2014 World Cup finishing bottom of their group. At the2019 Asian Cup, Lebanon were close to qualifying to the knock-out stages for the first time. However, they lost a tiebreaker toVietnam in thethird-place ranking on the fair play rule and were knocked out of the competition at the group stage. Lebanon also compete in theArab Cup, theWAFF Championship, and theArab Games. As hosts, they have finished third—once at the Arab Cup (1963) and twice at the Arab Games (1957 and1997).
Inspired by theirnational symbol, the Lebanese team is known as "the Cedars" (Arabic:رجال الأرز) by fans and media. Their home kit is primarily red and their away kit white, a reference to theirnational flag. After a steady decline in theirFIFA ranking 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 29 March 2016 to 9 September 2018, during which Lebanon won eight games and drew eight.
Lebanon was one of the first nations in theMiddle East to establish a formal administrative body forassociation football.[b][3] On 22 March 1933, representatives from 13 football clubs gathered in the Minet El Hosn district ofBeirut to form theLebanese Football Association (LFA).[4][5] The LFA was initially led by Hussein Sejaan,[6] and became a member ofFIFA in 1936.[5][7]
On 3 February 1934, the LFA organized a training camp for 22 players from Beirut in preparation for afriendly match against the Romanian clubCA Timișoara (TAC).[8] The players were divided into two teams and competed against each other at theAmerican University of Beirut (AUB) field.[8] However, the scheduled match against TAC on 18 February was canceled due to financial disputes between the LFA and AUB, which had organized the event.[9] TheBeirut XI team eventually faced TAC on 21 November 1935 at the AUB field,[10] losing 3–0.[11]
On 29 October 1939, the Beirut XI played their first match against Syria's Damascus XI in Beirut, resulting in a 5–4 defeat.[12] They played a return game inDamascus on 14 November, which resulted in a 6–1 win for Beirut XI.[13] Over the following years, the two teams competed in 16 unofficial matches until 1963, with the Beirut XI securing seven victories, two draws, and seven losses.[14]
The Lebanese national team'sfirst official FIFA-recognized match was played on 27 April 1940, facingMandatory Palestine at theMaccabiah Stadium in Palestine.[15] The game ended in a 5–1 defeat for Lebanon, with an estimated attendance of 6,000 to 10,000 spectators.[16] Mandatory Palestine dominated the first half, scoring four goals.[17] In the second half, Lebanese forwardCamille Cordahi, assisted byMuhieddine Jaroudi, scored Lebanon's first official international goal.[17] Mandatory Palestine added a fifth goal, concluding the match with a 5–1 victory.[17]
Lebanon played their first official match againstSyria on 26 April 1942, losing 2–1 in Beirut as part of the Coupe Hauteclocque.[18] The trophy, donated by French diplomatJean de Hauteclocque [fr] in 1939, was intended to be a regular fixture between Lebanon and Syria.[19] The match, held at the AUB field in front of 3,000 spectators, saw Lebanon coached byAbed Traboulsi and captained byLabib Majdalani.[18] Although two matches were initially planned,[19] only the Beirut fixture took place.[18] The Coupe Hauteclocque remained a point of contention, as theSyrian Football Association had retained possession of the cup since 1939.[19] Lebanon played two additional friendlies against Syria in 1947, losing 4–1 in Beirut on 4 May,[20] and 1–0 inAleppo on 18 May.[21]
Coached byVinzenz Dittrich,[22] Lebanon participated in their first international tournament at theinaugural edition of thefootball tournament at the Arab Games, held in Egypt in 1953.[23] The team finished at the bottom of its group after a 4–1 loss toJordan,[24] and a 0–0 draw with Syria.[25] In the fifth-place match, Lebanon secured a 9–1 victory overPalestine.[26]
On 29 February 1956, Lebanon playedHungary in a notable 4–1 home defeat, during which Hungarian starFerenc Puskás scored two goals.[27][28] Lebanon also participated in unofficial matches against prominent European clubs such asDynamo Moscow,Leipzig, andSpartak Trnava in 1957.[14] That same year, Lebanon faced Romanian clubEnergia Flacăra Ploiești in the opening game of theSports City Stadium in Beirut, securing a 1–0 victory with a goal byJoseph Abou Mrad.[29]
From 19 to 27 October 1957, Lebanon hosted thesecond edition of the Arab Games and were drawn withSaudi Arabia, Syria, and Jordan in the group stages.[30] After two 1–1 draws against Saudi Arabia and Syria, Lebanon defeated Jordan 6–3 thanks to two braces by Joseph Abou Mrad andMardik Tchaparian, and one goal each byRobert Chehade andLevon Altounian; this placed them first in their group.[31] In the semifinals, Lebanon lost 4–2 toTunisia.[32] They finished in third place afterMorocco withdrew from the third-place match.[30]
Lebanon hosted the third edition of theMediterranean Games in1959, held in Beirut in October, and were grouped withItaly B andTurkey B.[c][33] They finished last in the group, after four losses to the two European teams.[34][35][36][37]
Lebanon played their firstOlympic Games qualifiers in1959 between November and December. Coached by English coachHarry Wright, Lebanon were grouped withIraq andTurkey. They played two games against Iraq, losing 3–0 at home and 8–0 away, before withdrawing from the qualifiers prior to their two matches against Turkey.[38][39]
The1961 Arab Games, marking the third edition of the competition, were held in Morocco. The tournament featured six teams competing in asingle round-robin format. Lebanon's national team participated in the event, under head coachJoseph Nalbandian, recording a mixed set of results.[40] Lebanon won matches against Saudi Arabia (7–1) andKuwait (4–0), and suffered defeats against Morocco (1–0), theUnited Arab Republic (UAR; 4–0), andLibya (3–2). Lebanon finished in fourth place out of the six participating teams.[41][42]
Lebanon hosted the inauguralArab Cup in1963 between March and April, marking the first edition of the tournament.[43] The concept of an Arab Cup was initially proposed in 1957 by Lebanese journalistNassif Majdalani and Izzat Al Turk, the Secretary General of the LFA.[44][45] In 1962, the LFA, under the leadership of its president Georges Dabbas, formally advocated for the establishment of the tournament.[46] The inaugural competition took place in Beirut between April and May 1963, featuring five participating teams.[43] Lebanon was placed in a group with Tunisia, Syria, Kuwait, and Jordan.[43] The Lebanese team began the tournament with a 6–0 victory over Kuwait, highlighted by ahat-trick from Mardik Tchaparian.[47] Following another win against Jordan (5–0) and losses to Syria (3–2) and Tunisia (1–0), Lebanon secured a third-place finish in the tournament.[43]
The1963 Mediterranean Games, the fourth edition of the event, was held in Italy in September. Lebanon was placed in Group B alongside Turkey,Spain,Malta, and the UAR. Notably, European teams in the tournament fielded amateur players. Lebanon's campaign began with a 1–0 loss to Spain,[48] followed by a 4–0 loss to Turkey,[49] and a 2–0 victory over Malta.[50] In their final group match against the UAR on 25 September, the game was abandoned in the 27th minute due to awaterlogged pitch, with the score tied at 0–0. Rescheduled for the next day, a dispute over the venue arose: the UAR insisted on relocating, while Lebanon refused, citing tournament regulations. The technical committee sided with the UAR, leading Lebanon to withdraw. Consequently, the UAR was awarded a 2–0 walkover victory.[51]
Lebanon played at the1964 Tripoli Fair Tournament, held inTripoli, Libya in March; in a group withSudan B,Morocco B, Malta B, and hosts Libya, they finished in first place with seven points.[52]
The1964 Arab Cup, the second edition of the tournament, was held in Kuwait in November. The competition featured five teams—Iraq, Libya, Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon—competing in a single-round robin format. Lebanon finished in fourth place, recording one win, one draw, and two defeats during the tournament.[53][54][55]
The1965 Arab Games, the fourth edition of the event, took place inCairo, UAR. Lebanon was placed in Group A alongside the UAR, Palestine, Iraq, andAden. The team finished fourth in the group.[56][57][58][59]
In the1966 Arab Cup, the third edition held in Iraq, Lebanon were drawn with Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, andBahrain in Group A.[60] After three wins and a draw,[61][62][63][64] they qualified to the semi-finals against Syria, where they lost 1–0.[65] In the third-place match, Lebanon lost 6–1 to Libya, finishing the competition in fourth place.[66]
Lebanon participated in the1968 Olympic Games qualifiers, held inTokyo, Japan, from September to October 1967. Lebanon faced challenges early on, as the team's Hungarian coach,József Albert, was unable to obtain a visa for Japan and was replaced by Joseph Nalbandian.[67] Lebanon began with a 1–1 draw againstSouth Vietnam,[68] followed by a 2–0 loss toSouth Korea,[69] and a 3–1 defeat toJapan.[70][71] However, the team secured two notable victories: an 11–1 win over thePhilippines on 6 October,[72] which remains Lebanon's largest margin of victory to date,[15] and a 5–2 win againstTaiwan.[73][74] The match against the Philippines featured four goals by Joseph Abou Mrad and three bySamir Nassar.[72] Despite these wins, Lebanon finished third out of six teams and did not qualify for the Olympics.[75]
Four years later, Lebanon took part in the1972 Olympic Games qualifiers under coach Joseph Abou Mrad. It was initially planned for a group stage inTehran, featuringNorth Korea, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. However, due to visa issues with Iranian authorities, FIFA restructured the group into knockout ties.[76] Ultimately, Lebanon faced Iraq in a home-and-away series. Lebanon won the first match 1–0 in Beirut,[77] but lost the second 1–0 inBaghdad.[78] A decisive third match was held inIstanbul, Turkey, where Iraq secured a 2–1 victory, advancing to the second round of qualifiers; Lebanon was eliminated from the competition.[79]
After joining theAsian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1964,[5][7] Lebanon's firstAsian Cup qualifying campaign was for the1972 tournament under coach Abou Mrad.[80] The Western Zone qualifiers, held in Kuwait in December 1971, began with an allocation match to determine Lebanon's group placement. Lebanon lost 3–0 to Bahrain,[81] and was placed in Group B alongside Kuwait and Syria.[82] In the group stage, Lebanon suffered a 1–0 defeat to Kuwait,[83] but secured a 3–2 victory over Syria, advancing to the semi-finals.[84] However, in the decisive semi-final match, where a win would have guaranteed qualification, Lebanon lost 4–1 to Iraq.[85] The team concluded their campaign with a 2–0 consolation victory over Jordan in the third-place match.[86]
Despite Lebanon's ongoingcivil war (1975–1990), the national football team continued participating in international competitions, though with significant disruptions. A notable incident occurred in 1979 during preparations for a match against South Korea, when Joseph Nalbandian, secretary-general of the LFA, was detained for six hours in the basement of theKataeb Regulatory Forces' War Council building, the paramilitary wing of theKataeb Party.[87] Despite this political interference, the national team proceeded with its travel to South Korea for the match.[87]
The team faced further challenges during the1980 Asian Cup qualifiers, held in Abu Dhabi in November 1979. After a 0–0 draw against theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE), Lebanon needed a victory over Syria to secure qualification for the final tournament.[88] The decisive match proved controversial, with refereeing decisions including a disputedpenalty awarded to Syria, a disallowed Lebanese goal, and thesending off of three Lebanese players.[89] These incidents contributed to Lebanon's 1–0 defeat, resulting in their elimination from the competition.[89]
Lebanon's participation in the1984 Asian Cup qualifiers was similarly affected by the civil war. Drawn into Group 2 alongside six other teams for matches scheduled in Saudi Arabia between 20–31 October 1984,[90] the squad under Bulgarian coachTodor Simeonovski was ultimately unable to compete.[87] Despite arriving atBeirut International Airport on 17 October 1984 ready to depart, the team was prevented from traveling, with the LFA subsequently informing Saudi officials via telegram that "security reasons beyond [its] control" had forced their withdrawal.[87]
The national team's first attempt atqualifying for theFIFA World Cup in1986 was also impacted by the conflict. Lebanon played four matches in March 1985 against Iraq and Qatar, losing all fixtures before withdrawing from the competition due to the escalating civil war.[91] FIFA subsequently annulled all of Lebanon's results from the qualifiers.[92]
At the1987 Mediterranean Games inLatakia, Syria, Lebanon participated in the football tournament but struggled competitively. After an initial 0–0 draw againstSan Marino,[93] defeats toTurkey Olympic (1–0)[94] and hosts Syria (6–1) saw the team finish third in their group and fail to progress beyond the group stage.[95]
Lebanon's final major tournament appearance during the civil war came at the1988 Arab Cup. Afterqualifying through matches in Aleppo, including a 2–1 loss to Syria[96] and a 0–0 draw with Palestine,[97] Lebanon competed in the finals in Jordan. Drawn in a group withEgypt, Iraq, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia, the team recorded one win, two draws, and one defeat to finish third in their group, failing to advance to the knockout stages.[98]
Lebanon returned to international competition in 1993, entering in the1994 World Cup qualifiers under coachAdnan Al Sharqi.[99] 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 three years later with a gap of 68 years.[100] Lebanon finished third in their group with two wins, four draws, and two losses, failing to advance.[101]
UnderTerry Yorath, Lebanon's first post-war foreign manager, the team began their first post-war campaign toqualify for the1996 Asian Cup.[102] Despite winning twice againstTurkmenistan and losing only once (at home, against Kuwait), Lebanon were eliminated from the competition with a one-point difference with Kuwait (the group leader).[102] Yorath's tenure (1995–1997) saw Lebanon rise 10 places in theFIFA rankings after a 3–3 draw with theCzech Republic and a 1–0 win over Jordan, both friendlies played in February 1997.[103] Thanks to their performances, Lebanon were awarded the Asian Team of the Month award.[103] Lebanon were drawn in a group which included Kuwait andSingapore in the1998 World Cup qualifiers, played between April and June 1997.[104] Led by Yorath, the Cedars were eliminated with only four points.[104] Despite the team's elimination, the Welsh manager was one of the team's most successful managers, with 15 wins in 31 official matches during his two-year tenure.[15]
Lebanon hosted the2000 Asian Cup, despite FIFA's concerns about stadium conditions.[105] Coached byJosip Skoblar[106] and captained byJamal Taha,[107] Lebanon drew into Group A withIran, Iraq, andThailand.[108] Out of the 23 called-up players for the tournament, five were Brazilians withLebanese ancestry.[109] Lebanon played their first Asian Cup game against Iran on 12 October 2000 at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium with 52,418 spectators.[108] 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.[108] In the second match, against Iraq, two goals in the first 22 minutes gave the opposing team a comfortable lead.[108] However, anAbbas Chahrour long-distance volley in the 28th minute,[110] Lebanon's first goal in the competition,[111] and a goal byMoussa Hojeij in the 76th minute gave Lebanon their first point of the competition.[108] Lebanon played Thailand in the final group stage match.[108] With the opposing team gaining the lead in the 58th minute,Luís Fernandes equalised for Lebanon to end the match 1–1.[108] The draw was not enough as they finished last in the group, with only two points.[108]
Managed byTheo Bücker, Lebanon drew withPakistan,Sri Lanka, and Thailand in thefirst round of the2002 World Cup qualifications.[112] The team, with good offense fromRoda Antar,Haitham Zein,Vartan Ghazarian, andGilberto dos Santos, finished second in their group with 26 goals in six games (the most in their group).[112]
UnderRichard Tardy,[113] Lebanon drew into Group D of the2004 Asian Cup qualifiers.[114] Before the match away to North Korea, the Lebanese team were reportedly ill-treated; hotel conditions were poor, and their training field contained goats and sheep.[115] Lebanon finished third in their group, with four points.[114] For thesecond round of the qualifiers for the2006 World Cup, Lebanon were grouped with South Korea,Vietnam, and theMaldives.[116] UnderMahmoud Hamoud, they finished second in their group and were eliminated.[116]
Lebanon drew intoGroup D for the2007 Asian Cup qualifying campaign withAustralia, Bahrain, and Kuwait, played in 2006.[117] The scheduled meeting between Australia and Lebanon madeBuddy Farah, an Australian player ofLebanese descent, declare his return to the Lebanese national side.[118] 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 LFA due to the2006 Lebanon War, which forced several players to leave their homes to avoid the war.[119] In 2007 Lebanon was seeded in thefirst round of the qualifiers for the2010 World Cup, where they facedIndia to qualify directly for thethird round of the qualifiers.[120] Lebanon won 6–3 on aggregate and advanced to the third round, with two goals byMohammed Ghaddar in the second match.[120] Lebanon, grouped with Saudi Arabia, Singapore, andUzbekistan, finished last with no points.[121]
In April 2008, Lebanon and the Maldives (the two lowest-ranked teams in Asia)[d][122] played home-and-away matches in thepreliminary round of the2011 Asian Cup; the winner would proceed to the next round.[125][126] A 4–0 home win and a 2–1 victory in the away match advanced Lebanon to the qualifying round.[125][126] Between 2009 and 2010, they drew intoGroup D withChina, Syria, and Vietnam, finishing last.[127]Emile Rustom, re-appointed as head coach in November 2008, led Lebanon into thesecond round of the2014 World Cup qualifiers.[128] They facedBangladesh, winning 4–0 in Beirut on 23 July 2011, and losing 2–0 inDhaka five days later.[129] Lebanon advanced to thethird round, where they were grouped with South Korea, Kuwait, and the UAE.[130] Rustom resigned less than a week later, citing internal administrative problems.[131][132]
On 4 August 2011, Theo Bücker was reappointed as Lebanon's head coach.[133] 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.[134][135] The team then drew 2–2 to Kuwait in Beirut on 11 October.[136] 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.[137] Bad fan behaviour (mainly fireworks-related) was again a problem against Kuwait, forcing refereeMasaaki Toma to stop the game several times.[138] A month later, Lebanon defeated Kuwait 1–0 inKuwait City;[139] it was Kuwait's first home loss to Lebanon.[140] On 15 November, Lebanon hosted South Korea at Beirut's Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium before over 40,000 spectators.[141]Ali Al Saadi 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 anAbbas Ali Atwi penalty; the match finished in a 2–1 victory. Lebanon's first-ever win against South Korea qualified them for thefourth (and final) round of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time.[142]
In 2012 Lebanon drew into Group A of the fourth round, with South Korea, Uzbekistan, Iran, andQatar.[143] In Lebanon's fourth game, on 11 September against Iran, a first-half Roda Antar goal gave Lebanon the lead through a header.[144] They held onto the lead and won 1–0; the three points were crucial to stay in contention for a spot at the2014 World Cup.[144] On 26 February 2013, team membersRamez Dayoub and Mahmoud El Ali were involved in the2013 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.[145] The players were fined $15,000 and banned from the LFA for life.[146] 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.[147] The Lebanese team then lost to Uzbekistan 1–0 on the road.[148] 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.[149]
In 2013 the team drew into group B with Iran, Thailand and Kuwait for the2015 Asian Cup qualifications.[150] After losing 5–0 to Iran, and winning 5–2 against Thailand,Giuseppe Giannini replaced Theo Bücker as head coach.[151] During Giannini's first game, on match day three, Mohammad Ghaddar scored the equaliser against Kuwait in Beirut to earn a point for Lebanon.[152] Lebanon ended the qualifications in third place in their group, with two wins, two draws, and two losses.[150] 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.[150]
After the country's failed attempt to qualify for the2015 Asian Cup in Australia, the LFA decided to reform the national team in 2014 by modeling it on theBelgium national team (particularly Belgium's performance in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil).[153] Inviting new players from nations with a largeLebanese community (such as the United States, Germany, Denmark, and Norway) would, it was hoped, bring about a rebirth of Lebanese football.[153] On 8 September 2014, Lebanon played an unofficial FIFA match against theBrazilian Olympic team inDoha for the first time; the match ended in a 2–2 draw.Hassan Maatouk 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.[154][155] The match excited the Lebanese people, despite poor refereeing.[154] After Lebanon's 5–0 away loss to Qatar a month later,[156] Giuseppe Giannini was fired.[157]
Miodrag Radulović was appointed the team's new coach in 2015,[158] and led Lebanon in the2018 World Cup qualifications, played between June 2015 and March 2016.[159] The team were drawn in a group that included Asia's runners-up South Korea, Kuwait,Myanmar, andLaos,[160] 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 the2019 Asian Cup qualification third round, played between March 2017 and March 2018.[161]
The Asian Cup draw put Lebanon in Group B, with North Korea,Hong Kong, andMalaysia.[162] 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).[163] Hassan Maatouk (who succeeded Roda Antar as captain in 2016)[164] was key to Lebanon's success, scoring five goals in six games.[161][165] Although Radulović failed to qualify the team for the2018 World Cup, he helped Lebanon reach their first-ever Asian Cup through qualification in2019;[e][161] he was the first Montenegrin manager to help a team qualify for a major tournament. Radulović managed a 16-game unbeaten streak (from 29 March 2016 to 9 September 2018),[166][167] winning eight and drawing eight,[168] making Lebanon the second-most unbeaten national team by number of games at that point (16) afterSpain (26).[169] In September 2018, Lebanon achieved their best-ever FIFA ranking (77th).[170]
Lebanon relied on theirdiaspora abroad for the2019 Asian Cup, with nine of their 23called-up players beingborn outside Lebanon.[109] They started the campaign on 9 January 2019, with a 2–0 loss against Qatar.[171] In the 37th minute,Ali Hamam scored a goal for Lebanon from acorner, only for it to be controversially disallowed for afoul.[172][173][174] Two goals by Qatar in the second half secured all three points for the opposing team.[175] Three days later, Lebanon played their second match of the tournament against Saudi Arabia.[176] Two goals without reply brought Lebanon their second defeat of the tournament.[176]
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.[177] The encounter ended in a 4–1 win, thanks to a brace byHilal El-Helwe, which gave Lebanon their first ever Asian Cup win.[177] However, they lost out to Vietnam in thethird-place ranking on the fair play rule.[177] Because they had received sevenyellow cards against five by Vietnam, they were knocked out of the competition.[177]
Liviu Ciobotariu was appointed for the joint qualifications for the2022 World Cup and the2023 Asian Cup.[178] His first games took place at the2019 WAFF Championship, where Lebanon were drawn with hosts Iraq, Syria, Palestine, andYemen.[179] Lebanon finished fourth in their group with four points, after a win, a draw, and two defeats.[179]
For thesecond round of qualification for the 2022 World Cup, Lebanon were drawn with South Korea, for the third time in a row,[130][160] North Korea, who Lebanon had faced in both the qualifications and final stage of the 2019 Asian Cup,[162][177] Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka.[180] Lebanon played five matches (two wins, two draws, and one defeat) between September and November 2019,[181] before the remaining games were postponed on 9 March 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Asia.[182][183]
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Former national team captain Jamal Taha was appointed head coach in summer 2020.[184] 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.[185] Despite only winning only one of their following three games, other results went in Lebanon's favour and they finished among thebest runners-up, qualifying to the2023 Asian Cup for the third time, and thefinal round of 2022 World Cup qualification for the second time.[186]
Lebanon played in Group A of the final round of qualification under coachIvan Hašek between September 2021 and March 2022, and were drawn with Iran, South Korea, the UAE, Iraq and Syria. Having earned five points in the first four games (all away from home), most notably via a 3–2 win against Syria,[187] the team was noted as an "early surprise",[188] sitting in the play-off qualifying third place as the lowest-ranked team in the round.[189] In the remaining six games (including five at home), Lebanon earned only one point and finished in last place with six points.[190] The qualification campaign was partially covered byCaptains, a docuseries released by FIFA and Netflix following six national teams and their respective captains in their 2022 World Cup qualification runs.[191]
Between June and September 2023, Lebanon took part in various friendly tournaments in preparation ahead of the upcoming 2023 Asian Cup. The team finished runners-up in the2023 Intercontinental Cup – losing 2–0 to hosts India in the final,[192] reached the semi-finals of the2023 SAFF Championship – also losing to hosts India onpenalties,[193] and finished in third place in the2023 King's Cup – defeating India 1–0.[194]
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Radulović was re-appointed head coach of Lebanon ahead of the 2023 Asian Cup, played in January 2024.[195] They were drawn with hosts Qatar, China andTajikistan inGroup A.[196] Lebanon played the opening game of the Asian Cup on 12 January in front of 82,490 spectators at theLusail Stadium, which had hosted the2022 World Cup final 13 months prior.[197] Qatar comfortably won the encounter 3–0.[197] Lebanon faced China five days later in a goalless draw.[198] On 22 January, Lebanon headed into the final game against Tajikistan needing a win to progress. Lebanon'sBassel Jradi gave them the lead early in the second half; however,Kassem El Zein's red card reduced them to 10 men in the 52nd minute.[199] Tajikistan scored twice late in the game and knocked Lebanon out of the competition, who finished last in their group with only one point.[199]
Lebanon was drawn in Group I of thesecond round of qualification for the2026 World Cup, alongside Australia, Palestine and Bangladesh.[200] Played between November 2023 and June 2024, Lebanon won once, drew three times and lost twice.[201] Despite not qualifying for the next round of World Cup qualification, Lebanon's third-place finish advanced them to thefinal round of qualification for the2027 Asian Cup.[202] The World Cup qualifiers were also the last games of Lebanon's captain Hassan Maatouk, who retired as the team's all-time top goalscorer and most-capped player with 26 goals in 123 games.[203]
Lebanon is known as "the Cedars" (Arabic:رجال الأرز) by fans and the media, since the cedar tree is the country's national symbol.[204][205][206]
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The national team traditionally wear red as their primary colour and white as their secondary colour.[3][207] The choices originate from thenational flag of Lebanon (red, white, and green); green is sometimes reserved for the goalkeeper.[208] At home, Lebanon usually wear a red shirt, shorts, and socks, with white details;[176] the away kit is a white outfit with red details.[175]
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.[209] In 1940, on the occasion of theirfirst FIFA-sanctioned game againstMandatory Palestine, Lebanon wore a white kit with a black collar, along with black shorts and striped socks.[210] During the 1960s, Lebanon wore a red shirt with a white horizontal band in the center, which included a greencedar tree in the middle; the shorts were white, and the socks were red-and-white-striped.[211]
In the2000 Asian Cup, Lebanon wore a redAdidas shirt with white details on the sides and a white collar, white shorts, and red socks.[212] In the2019 campaign, Lebanon wore a red kit with white details and a white collar,[176] manufactured byCapelli Sport, a sports brand founded by Lebanese-born entrepreneur George Altirs.[213] TheLebanese cedar, the country's national symbol, was present under the team logo in a darker shade of red.[214] Since 2023, the team kit has been manufactured byKelme.[215] Previous manufacturers includeDiadora and Adidas.[216][217]
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The Lebanese national team play their home games in various stadiums throughout the country. The team's main venue is theCamille Chamoun Sports City Stadium. Built in 1957 during the presidency ofCamille Chamoun, it is the country's largest stadium with 49,500 seats.[218] Its inaugural game was in 1957, when the national team playedEnergia Flacara Ploiesti and won 1–0 thanks to aJoseph Abou Mrad goal.[29] It was the main stadium used to host the2000 Asian Cup held in Lebanon; six matches were played in the stadium including the opening match and thefinal.[219][220] In 2011 the stadium hosted the famed 2–1 victory againstSouth Korea in the2014 World Cup qualification, sending Lebanon to thefinal round of qualification for the first time.[141] Over 40,000 spectators were present to watch the match.[141]
The national team, however, also play in other stadiums such as theSaida Municipal Stadium located inSidon. Built over the sea, the stadium holds 22,600 people,[221] and was one of the venues to host the2000 Asian Cup.[222] Other stadiums in which the national team play include theTripoli Municipal Stadium and theBeirut Municipal Stadium.[223][224]
Produced byFulwell 73, FIFA releasedCaptains in 2022, an eight-part sportsdocuseries following six national team captains in their respective 2022 World Cup qualification campaigns.[191] Hassan Maatouk, representing Lebanon, starred in the first season alongsideThiago Silva (Brazil),Luka Modrić (Croatia),Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon),Andre Blake (Jamaica) andBrian Kaltak (Vanuatu).[191] It was released byNetflix, and also shown on FIFA's own streaming platform,FIFA+.[225]
As of 18 November 2025[update], the Lebanon national football team has played408 official matches, recording 119 wins, 105 draws, and 184 defeats.[15] The team has scored 491 goals while conceding 606 during this period. Lebanon's largest victory margin remains their 11–1 win against thePhilippines in 1967.[15] The team's longest winning streak stands at eight matches, while their record unbeaten run spans 16 consecutive official games.[168]
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
Lebanon| 12 December 2024 (2024-12-12)Friendly | Kuwait | 1–2 | Lebanon | Doha, Qatar |
| 18:00 UTC+3 |
| Report | Stadium:Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium |
v Lebanon| 15 December 2024 (2024-12-15)Friendly | Kuwait | 0–2 | Lebanon | Doha, Qatar |
| 18:00 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium:Suheim bin Hamad Stadium |
v
Timor-Leste| 20 March 2025 (2025-03-20)Friendly | Lebanon | 4–0 | Timor-Leste | Al Khor, Qatar |
| 21:00 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium:Al-Khor SC Stadium |
v
Brunei| 25 March 2025 (2025-03-25)2027 Asian Cup qualification | Lebanon | 5–0 | Brunei | Al Wakrah, Qatar |
| 21:30 UTC+3 | Report Report (AFC) | Stadium:Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium Attendance: 282 Referee: Venikatesh Ramachandran (India) | ||
| Note: Lebanon were required to play all their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoingIsrael–Hezbollah conflict. | ||||
v Lebanon| 28 May 2025 (2025-05-28)Friendly | Oman | 1–0 | Lebanon | Muscat, Oman |
| 20:00 UTC+4 |
| Report | Stadium:Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex |
v Lebanon| 10 June 2025 (2025-06-10)2027 Asian Cup qualification | Yemen | 0–0 | Lebanon | Sulaibikhat, Kuwait |
| 20:30 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium:Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Stadium Attendance: 1,512 Referee: Mahmood Salim Al Majarafi (Bahrain) | ||
| Note: Yemen were required to play their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoingYemeni civil war. | ||||
v Lebanon| 24 August 2025 (2025-08-24)Unofficial friendly | Qatar | 0–1 | Lebanon | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 18:30 UTC+3 | Report |
| Stadium:Khalifa International Stadium Attendance: 0 | |
| Note: The match was not considered an official international fixture, as it was played in two 35-minute halves (70 minutes in total). | ||||
v Lebanon| 8 September 2025 (2025-09-08)Friendly | Indonesia | 0–0 | Lebanon | Surabaya, Indonesia |
| 20:30 UTC+7 | Report | Stadium:Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium Attendance: 27,052 Referee:Ko Hyung-jin (South Korea) |
v
Bhutan| 9 October 2025 (2025-10-09)2027 Asian Cup qualification | Lebanon | 2–0 | Bhutan | Doha, Qatar |
| 19:00 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium:Grand Hamad Stadium Attendance: 366 Referee: Morteza Mansourian (Iran) | ||
| Note: Lebanon were required to play all their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoingIsrael–Hezbollah conflict. | ||||
v Lebanon| 14 October 2025 (2025-10-14)2027 Asian Cup qualification | Bhutan | 0–4 | Lebanon | Al Wakrah, Qatar |
| 19:00 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium:Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium Attendance: 397 Referee:Zhang Lei (China) | ||
| Note: Bhutan were required to play their home matches at a neutral venue, due to theChanglimithang Stadium inThimphu failing to meet AFC standards. | ||||
v Lebanon| 18 November 2025 (2025-11-18)2027 Asian Cup qualification | Brunei | 0–3 | Lebanon | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei |
| 20:15 UTC+8 | Report | Stadium:Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium Attendance: 2,667 Referee: Hasan Akrami (Iran) |
v Lebanon| 26 November 2025 (2025-11-26)2025 Arab Cup qualification | Sudan | v | Lebanon | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 19:00 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium:Al Gharafa Stadium |
v Yemen| 31 March 2026 (2026-03-31)2027 Asian Cup qualification | Lebanon | v | Yemen | TBD |
| --:-- | Stadium:TBD | |||
| Note: Lebanon will be required to play all their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoingIsrael–Hezbollah conflict. | ||||
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Miodrag Radulović |
| Team manager | Rashid Nassar |
| Assistant coach | Srđan Kljajević |
| Goalkeeper coach | Mileta Radulović |
| Fitness coach | Nikola Vukčević |
| Administrator | Fouad Balhawan |
| Physiotherapist | Elie Metni |
| Media officer | Charbel Krayem |
| Equipment officer | Shafiq Fares |
The following players were named in the squad for the2025 FIFA Arab Cup qualification match againstSudan on 26 November 2025.[227]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Mehdi Khalil | (1991-09-19)19 September 1991 (age 34) | 58 | 0 | Ahed |
| 21 | 1GK | Mostafa Matar | (1995-09-10)10 September 1995 (age 30) | 41 | 0 | Nejmeh |
| 23 | 1GK | Ali Sabeh | (1994-06-24)24 June 1994 (age 31) | 9 | 0 | Jwaya |
| 2 | 2DF | Mohammad El Hayek | (2000-02-19)19 February 2000 (age 25) | 17 | 0 | Safa |
| 3 | 2DF | Khalil Khamis | (1995-01-12)12 January 1995 (age 30) | 19 | 1 | Nejmeh |
| 4 | 2DF | Mohamad Safwan | (2003-03-10)10 March 2003 (age 22) | 11 | 1 | Nejmeh |
| 5 | 2DF | Nassar Nassar | (1992-01-01)1 January 1992 (age 33) | 33 | 0 | Ansar |
| 6 | 2DF | Hussein Zein | (1995-01-27)27 January 1995 (age 30) | 47 | 0 | Nejmeh |
| 12 | 2DF | Hasan Farhat | (2004-09-21)21 September 2004 (age 21) | 2 | 0 | Ahed |
| 18 | 2DF | Kassem El Zein | (1990-12-02)2 December 1990 (age 34) | 55 | 2 | Nejmeh |
| 19 | 2DF | Hussein Sharafeddine | (1997-10-13)13 October 1997 (age 28) | 4 | 0 | Safa |
| 8 | 3MF | Khoder Kaddour | (2003-09-06)6 September 2003 (age 22) | 4 | 0 |  South Melbourne |
| 10 | 3MF | Mohamad Haidar(captain) | (1989-11-08)8 November 1989 (age 36) | 108 | 6 | Ahed |
| 13 | 3MF | Ahmad Kheir El Dine | (1995-07-07)7 July 1995 (age 30) | 12 | 0 | Ansar |
| 14 | 3MF | Gabriel Bitar | (1998-08-23)23 August 1998 (age 27) | 14 | 0 |  York United |
| 16 | 3MF | Walid Shour | (1996-06-10)10 June 1996 (age 29) | 37 | 1 | Jwaya |
| 17 | 3MF | Ali Tneich | (1992-07-16)16 July 1992 (age 33) | 31 | 1 | Ansar |
| 7 | 4FW | Zein Farran | (1999-07-21)21 July 1999 (age 26) | 12 | 1 | Jwaya |
| 9 | 4FW | Malek Fakhro | (1997-12-14)14 December 1997 (age 27) | 11 | 5 |  Hallescher FC |
| 11 | 4FW | Omar Chaaban | (1994-01-03)3 January 1994 (age 31) | 23 | 2 |  AFC Wimbledon |
| 15 | 4FW | Hussein Ezeddine | (2002-10-17)17 October 2002 (age 23) | 1 | 0 | Ahed |
| 20 | 4FW | Samy Merheg | (2006-12-06)6 December 2006 (age 18) | 11 | 7 | Free agent |
| 22 | 4FW | Ali Kassas | (2003-02-25)25 February 2003 (age 22) | 9 | 1 | Nejmeh |
The following footballers were part of a national selection in the past 12 months, but are not part of the current squad.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Antoine Al Douaihy | (1999-03-18)18 March 1999 (age 26) | 1 | 0 | Nejmeh | v. Indonesia; 8 September 2025 |
| GK | Shaker Wehbe | (1997-01-15)15 January 1997 (age 28) | 0 | 0 | Ahed | v. Brunei; 25 March 2025 |
| DF | Mohamad Baker El Housseini | (2002-12-18)18 December 2002 (age 22) | 3 | 0 | Borneo Samarinda | v. Indonesia; 8 September 2025 |
| DF | Pedro Budib | (2004-04-07)7 April 2004 (age 21) | 2 | 1 |  Pachuca U23 | v. Brunei; 25 March 2025 |
| DF | Jad Smaira | (2003-11-09)9 November 2003 (age 22) | 2 | 0 |  Achyronas-Onisilos | v. Kuwait; 15 December 2024 |
| MF | Jihad Ayoub | (1995-03-30)30 March 1995 (age 30) | 25 | 2 | Jwaya | v. Brunei; 18 November 2025 |
| MF | Majed Osman | (1994-06-09)9 June 1994 (age 31) | 15 | 2 | Ansar | v. Bhutan; 14 October 2025 |
| MF | Hasan Srour | (2001-12-18)18 December 2001 (age 23) | 21 | 0 | Jwaya | v. Indonesia; 8 September 2025 |
| MF | Hassan Kourani | (1995-01-22)22 January 1995 (age 30) | 12 | 1 | Nejmeh | v. Qatar; 24 August 2025 |
| MF | Rabih Ataya | (1989-07-16)16 July 1989 (age 36) | 56 | 5 | Sagesse | v. Kuwait; 15 December 2024 |
| FW | Karim Darwich | (1998-11-02)2 November 1998 (age 27) | 33 | 3 |  Duhok | v. Bhutan; 14 October 2025 |
| FW | Husseyn Chakroun | (2004-11-10)10 November 2004 (age 21) | 6 | 2 | Hannover 96 | v. Bhutan; 14 October 2025 |
| FW | Daniel Kuri | (1999-01-22)22 January 1999 (age 26) | 16 | 0 |  Roda JC | v. Indonesia; 8 September 2025 |
| FW | Karim Mekkaoui | (2001-04-19)19 April 2001 (age 24) | 3 | 0 | Omonia Aradippou | v. Indonesia; 8 September 2025 |
| FW | Mohammad Al Massri | (2001-06-22)22 June 2001 (age 24) | 1 | 0 | Ansar | v. Indonesia; 8 September 2025 |
| FW | Ramy Najjarine | (2000-04-23)23 April 2000 (age 25) | 1 | 0 | Wellington Phoenix[f] | v. Indonesia; 8 September 2025 |
| FW | Leonardo Farah Shahin | (2003-08-10)10 August 2003 (age 22) | 4 | 0 |  Falkenberg | v. Kuwait; 15 December 2024 |
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hassan Maatouk | 123 | 26 | 2006–2024 |
| 2 | Mohamad Haidar | 108 | 6 | 2011–present |
| 3 | Abbas Ahmad Atwi | 89 | 8 | 2002–2016 |
| 4 | Roda Antar | 83 | 20 | 1998–2016 |
| 5 | Youssef Mohamad | 81 | 3 | 1999–2016 |
| 6 | Nader Matar | 71 | 4 | 2012–2024 |
| Jamal Taha | 71 | 12 | 1993–2000 | |
| 8 | Walid Ismail | 69 | 1 | 2010–2019 |
| 9 | Nour Mansour | 67 | 3 | 2010–2024 |
| 10 | Vardan Ghazaryan | 66 | 21 | 1995–2001 |
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Average | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hassan Maatouk(list) | 26 | 123 | 0.21 | 2006–2024 |
| 2 | Vardan Ghazaryan | 21 | 66 | 0.32 | 1995–2001 |
| 3 | Roda Antar | 20 | 83 | 0.24 | 1998–2016 |
| 4 | Mohamad Ghaddar | 19 | 46 | 0.41 | 2006–2017 |
| 5 | Levon Altounian | 17 | 18 | 0.94 | 1956–1967 |
| 6 | Haitham Zein | 16 | 50 | 0.32 | 1997–2004 |
| 7 | Mahmoud El Ali | 12 | 46 | 0.26 | 2007–2012 |
| Jamal Taha | 12 | 71 | 0.17 | 1993–2000 | |
| 9 | Joseph Abou Mrad | 11 | 24 | 0.46 | 1953–1967 |
| 10 | Mardik Tchaparian | 10 | 11 | 0.91 | 1956–1963 |
| Competition |  |  |  | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIFA World Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AFC Asian Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FIFA Arab Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| WAFF Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Olympic Games | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asian Games | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arab Games | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Mediterranean Games | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Although theLebanese Football Association was formed in 1933,[4][5] Lebanon's first qualification campaign for theFIFA World Cup took place in the1986 edition.[91] However, after playing four matches, Lebanon withdrew due to the ongoingcivil war, and their results were subsequently annulled.[91] The country's first full qualification campaign came two editions later, in1994, where they finished third in their group with two wins, four draws, and two losses.[101] Ever since, Lebanon have participated in every iteration of the World Cup qualifiers.
Lebanon first reached the final round of World Cup qualification during the2014 campaign. After beatingBangladesh 4–2 on aggregate in thesecond round,[129] Lebanon qualified to thethird round, where they were drawn withSouth Korea,Kuwait, and theUnited Arab Emirates.[130] The team beat South Korea in a historic 2–1 win at home, coming second in their group and qualifying to thefourth (and final) round for the first time.[142] Grouped withIran, South Korea,Uzbekistan, andQatar,[150] Lebanon finished last in Group A and were eliminated with only one win and two draws in eight games.[149]
Champions Runners-up Third place
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Ref. | |
| 1930 to1934 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | — | |||||||||||||||
| 1938 to1982 | Did not enter | Did not enter | — | |||||||||||||||
| 1986 | Mexico | Withdrew | Withdrew | [91] | ||||||||||||||
| 1990 |  Italy | Did not enter | Did not enter | — | ||||||||||||||
| 1994 |  United States | Did not qualify | 3rd of 5 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 9 | [101] | ||||||||
| 1998 |  France | 2nd of 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | [104] | |||||||||
| 2002 |  South Korea Japan | 2nd of 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 5 | [112] | |||||||||
| 2006 | Germany | 2nd of 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 5 | [116] | |||||||||
| 2010 |  South Africa | First round win,4th of 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 17 | [231] | |||||||||
| 2014 |  Brazil | Second round win,2nd of 4,5th of 5 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 28 | [232] | |||||||||
| 2018 |  Russia | 2nd of 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 6 | [233] | |||||||||
| 2022 | Qatar | 2nd of 5,6th of 6 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 21 | [234] | |||||||||
| 2026 | CanadaMexicoUnited States | 3rd of 4 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2030 |  Morocco Portugal Spain | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| 2034 |  Saudi Arabia | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0/21 | 78 | 24 | 21 | 33 | 108 | 106 | |||
Lebanon's first qualification campaign for theAsian Cup came at the1972 edition; drawn in Group B of the Western Zone, Lebanon came second thanks to a 3–2 victory over neighborsSyria and advanced to the next stage.[235] In the decisive semi-final match againstIraq, Lebanon lost 4–1 and were knocked-out.[235] Lebanon won a consolatory third-place match againstJordan.[235]
The2000 edition was Lebanon's first participation in the finals, when the country hosted the event.[105] Following a 4–0 defeat toIran in the competition's opening match,[108] Lebanon came from behind to draw 2–2 against Iraq;[108]Abbas Chahrour became Lebanon's first goalscorer in the competition.[108] Lebanon drew once again, 1–1 againstThailand, and were eliminated, finishing last in the group.[108]
After finishing the2019 third round of qualification unbeaten, Lebanon qualified to the Asian Cup for the first time in their history.[163] In thefinals, Lebanon lost the first group stage match 2–0 to eventual championsQatar,[175] before losing once again by the same score toSaudi Arabia.[176] In the final match of the group, Lebanon needed a win by four goals or more againstNorth Korea to qualify to the knock-out stage.[177] Despite conceding an earlyfree-kick goal, Lebanon went on to win the match 4–1 thanks to abrace byHilal El-Helwe.[177] However, they lost out toVietnam in thethird-place ranking due to having received moreyellow cards, and were knocked out of the competition.[177]
Champions Runners-up Third place
| AFC Asian Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Ref. | |
| 1956 to1968 | Did not enter | Did not enter | — | |||||||||||||||
| 1972 |  Thailand | Did not qualify | 2nd of 3,semi-final loss | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | [235] | ||||||||
| 1976 |  Iran | Withdrew | Withdrew | [236] | ||||||||||||||
| 1980 | Kuwait | Did not qualify | 3rd of 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | [237] | ||||||||
| 1984 |  Singapore | Withdrew | Withdrew | [90] | ||||||||||||||
| 1988 | Qatar | Did not enter | Did not enter | — | ||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Japan | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1996 |  United Arab Emirates | Did not qualify | 2nd of 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | [102] | ||||||||
| 2000 | Lebanon | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | [108] | |||||||
| 2004 |  China | Did not qualify | 3rd of 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | [114] | ||||||||
| 2007 | Indonesia MalaysiaThailand Vietnam | Withdrew | Withdrew | [117] | ||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Qatar | Did not qualify | Preliminary round win,4th of 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 14 | [124] | ||||||||
| 2015 | Australia | 3rd of 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 14 | [238] | |||||||||
| 2019 | United Arab Emirates | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | Squad | 2nd of 5,1st of 4 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 10 | [239] | |
| 2023 | Qatar | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | Squad | 2nd of 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 8 | ||
| 2027 | Saudi Arabia | Ongoing | Ongoing | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 17 | — | 3/18 | 51 | 20 | 10 | 21 | 72 | 71 | — | ||
Lebanon have taken part in all iterations of theArab Cup, except the1985 and1992 editions. They hosted the inaugural edition in1963, in a group containingTunisia,Syria,Kuwait, andJordan.[43] After beating Kuwait 6–0 through ahat-trick byMardik Tchaparian,[47] Lebanon lost 3–2 to Syria, before winning 5–0 against Jordan.[43] In a decisive match against Tunisia,Muhieddine Itani scored anown goal, and Lebanon lost 1–0, finishing third.[43]
Lebanon finished in fourth place in the subsequent two editions (1964 and1966); ever since, they have failed to pass the group stage.[240][241]
Champions Runners-up Third place
| FIFA Arab Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Ref. | |
| 1963 | Lebanon | Third place | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 4 | Squad | No qualifying tournament | [43] | |||||||
| 1964 | Kuwait | Fourth place | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | Squad | [240] | ||||||||
| 1966 |  Iraq | Fourth place | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 10 | Squad | [241] | ||||||||
| 1985 | Saudi Arabia | Did not qualify | Withdrew | — | ||||||||||||||
| 1988 |  Jordan | Group stage | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | Squad | 2nd of 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | [98] | |
| 1992 |  Syria | Did not enter | No qualifying tournament | — | ||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Qatar | Group stage | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Squad | 3rd of 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | [242] | |
| 2002 | Kuwait | Group stage | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | Squad | No qualifying tournament | [243] | |||||||
| 2009 | Cancelled | 2nd of 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | [244] | |||||||||
| 2012 | Saudi Arabia | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Squad | No qualifying tournament | [245] | |||||||
| 2021 | Qatar | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Squad | Win | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | [246] | |
| 2025 | Qatar | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| 2029 | Qatar | |||||||||||||||||
| 2033 | Qatar | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | Third place | 27 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 38 | — | 8/10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 6 | — | ||
Bar the2008 and2010 editions, Lebanon have participated in everyWAFF Championship; they have failed to qualify past the group stage on all occasions. Their first participation in the WAFF Championship was in2000, at the inaugural edition.[247] Drawn withIraq, hostsJordan, andKyrgyzstan, Lebanon finished third in their group with one win, one draw, and one loss.[247]
Champions Runners-up Third place
| WAFF Championship record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Ref. | |
| 2000 | Jordan | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | Squad | No qualifying tournament | [247] | |||||||
| 2002 | Syria | Group stage | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | Squad | [248] | ||||||||
| 2004 |  Iran | Group stage | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | Squad | [249] | ||||||||
| 2007 | Jordan | Group stage | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | Squad | [250] | ||||||||
| 2008 | Iran | Did not enter | — | |||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Jordan | Did not enter | — | |||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Kuwait | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | Squad | [251] | ||||||||
| 2013 | Qatar | Group stage | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Squad | [252] | ||||||||
| 2019 | Iraq | Group stage | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Squad | [253] | ||||||||
| 2026 | Kuwait | To be determined | — | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 25 | — | 7/9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Lebanon's senior team have never qualified to theOlympic Games final tournament; their first qualification campaign was forRome 1960.[254] After losing the first two group stage games againstIraq, Lebanon withdrew and the two remaining matches were awarded to their opponentTurkey.[254] Lebanon participated in two more qualifications,1968 Mexico City and1972 Munich, failing to qualify to the final tournament on both occasions.[75][76] Starting from the 1992 edition, the Olympic Football Tournament has been reserved for national under-23 teams.[255]
Gold Silver Bronze
| Olympic Games record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Ref. | |
| 1900 |  Paris | Did not enter | Did not enter | — | ||||||||||||||
| 1904 |  St. Louis | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | London | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1912 | Stockholm | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1920 |  Antwerp | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1924 | Paris | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1928 | Amsterdam | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1936 |  Berlin | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1948 | London | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1952 |  Helsinki | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1956 | Melbourne | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1960 | Rome | Withdrew | 3rd of 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 15 | [254] | ||||||||
| 1964 |  Tokyo | Withdrew | [256] | |||||||||||||||
| 1968 | Mexico City | Did not qualify | 3rd of 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 9 | [75] | ||||||||
| 1972 | Munich | First round loss | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | [76] | |||||||||
| 1976 | Montreal | Withdrew | Withdrew | [257] | ||||||||||||||
| 1980 |  Moscow | Did not enter | Did not enter | — | ||||||||||||||
| 1984 | Los Angeles | Withdrew | Withdrew | [258] | ||||||||||||||
| 1988 |  Seoul | Did not enter | Did not enter | — | ||||||||||||||
| 1992–present | SeeLebanon national under-23 football team | SeeLebanon national under-23 football team | [259] | |||||||||||||||
| Total | N/A | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0/19 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 20 | 27 | — | ||
The Lebanon national senior team only participated once at theAsian Games, atBangkok 1998. Thanks to a 5–1 win againstCambodia, Lebanon qualified past the preliminary round and were drawn withQatar,Thailand, andKazakhstan in the second round.[260] Following two 1–0 defeats, respectively to Qatar and Thailand, Lebanon won 3–0 against Kazakhstan in their final encounter of the group stage.[260] However, the three points were not enough to qualify Lebanon to the knockout round.[260]
Gold Silver Bronze
| Asian Games record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Ref. | |
| 1951 |  New Delhi | Did not enter | No qualifying tournament | — | ||||||||||||||
| 1954 |  Manila | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1958 | Tokyo | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1962 | Jakarta | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1966 | Bangkok | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1970 | Bangkok | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1974 | Tehran | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1978 | Bangkok | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1982 | New Delhi | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1986 | Seoul | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | Beijing | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994 | Hiroshima | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Bangkok | Group stage | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 7 | Squad | [260] | ||||||||
| 2002–present | SeeLebanon national under-23 football team | SeeLebanon national under-23 football team | — | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 7 | — | 0/13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
After participating in the inaugural edition of theArab Games, atAlexandria 1953,[261] Lebanon hosted the1957 edition.[30] Topping a group containingSyria,Saudi Arabia, andJordan, Lebanon reached the semi-finals where they lost 4–2 toTunisia.[30] Due toMorocco withdrawing from the third-place match, Lebanon finished the tournament in third place.[30] Lebanon also came third in1997, once again as hosts.[262] With two draws and a win, Lebanon came second in their group and qualified to the semi-finals, which they lostafter extra time to Syria.[262] Lebanon finished in third place after beatingKuwait 3–1.[262]
Gold Silver Bronze
| Arab Games record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Ref. | |
| 1953 |  Alexandria | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Squad | No qualifying tournamnet | [261] | |||||||
| 1957 | Beirut | Third place | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | Squad | [30] | ||||||||
| 1961 | Casablanca | Fourth place | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 9 | Squad | [263] | ||||||||
| 1965 | Cairo | Group stage | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | Squad | [264] | ||||||||
| 1976 |  Damascus | Did not enter | — | |||||||||||||||
| 1985 | Rabat | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Aleppo | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Beirut | Third place | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 7 | Squad | [262] | ||||||||
| 1999 | Amman | Second stage | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | Squad | [265] | ||||||||
| 2007 |  Cairo | Did not enter | — | |||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Doha | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023–present | SeeLebanon national under-23 football team | SeeLebanon national under-23 football team | — | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Third place | 27 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 43 | 42 | — | 6/11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Lebanon's first participation at theMediterranean Games was in1959, when they hosted the event.[33] They lost both legs againstItaly andTurkey, finishing last with no points.[33] Lebanon's senior team participated two more times, in1963 and1987, failing to qualify past the group stage on both occasions.[266][95]
Gold Silver Bronze
| Mediterranean Games record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Ref. | |
| 1951 | Alexandria | Did not enter | No qualifying tournament | — | ||||||||||||||
| 1955 |  Barcelona | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1959 | Beirut | Third place | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | Squad | [33] | ||||||||
| 1963 | Naples | Group stage | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | Squad | [266] | ||||||||
| 1967 |  Tunis | Did not enter | — | |||||||||||||||
| 1971 |  İzmir | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1975 |  Algiers | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1979 |  Split | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1983 | Casablanca | — | ||||||||||||||||
| 1987 | Latakia | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | Squad | [95] | ||||||||
| 1991–1997 | SeeLebanon national under-23 football team | SeeLebanon national under-23 football team | — | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Third place | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 16 | — | 3/10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Lebanon won their first tournament—albeit unofficial—at the1964 Tripoli Fair Tournament; with three wins and one draw, Lebanon finished first in a group containing Libya, Morocco, Sudan, and Malta.[52] In 1998, Lebanon participated at theFriendship Tournament in the United Arab Emirates where, with two draws and a defeat, they finished in third place out of four.[267] Lebanon also finished in third place at the2009 King's Cup in Thailand; after losing to the hosts in the semi-finals, they won against North Korea in the third-place match.[268] Between 2023 and 2024, Lebanon participated in several friendly tournaments, finishing runners-up in the2023 Intercontinental Cup[192] and the2024 Merdeka Tournament,[269] and in third place in the2023 King's Cup.[194]
Champions Runners-up Third place
| Tournament | Host | Position | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Tripoli Fair Tournament |  Libya | Champions | [52] |
| 1974 Kuneitra Cup | Syria | Group stage | [270] |
| 1975 President's Cup |  South Korea | Group stage | [271] |
| 1978 President's Cup | South Korea | Group stage | [272] |
| 1989 Peace and Friendship Cup | Kuwait | Group stage | [273] |
| 1998 Friendship Tournament | United Arab Emirates | Third place | [267] |
| 2009 King's Cup | Thailand | Third place | [268] |
| 2009 Nehru Cup | India | Group stage | [274] |
| 2023 Intercontinental Cup | India | Runners-up | [192] |
| 2023 SAFF Championship | India | Semi-finals | [193] |
| 2023 King's Cup | Thailand | Third place | [194] |
| 2024 Merdeka Tournament | Malaysia | Runners-up | [269] |
Third place (1):1963 Bronze medal (1):1959A first half goal from Ali Hammam was controversially ruled out.
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