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The Lebanon national football team, controlled by the Lebanese Football Association (LFA), have represented Lebanon in association football since their inception in 1933. The squad is governed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) continentally, and FIFA worldwide. While Lebanon have yet to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, they have qualified three times to the AFC Asian Cup: they first participated in 2000, when they hosted the event. Lebanon's main venue is the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut; however, they also play in other locations such as the Saida Municipal Stadium in Sidon.
Having joined FIFA in 1936, Lebanon played their first FIFA-recognised game in 1940 against Mandatory Palestine. During their 2014 qualification campaign for the World Cup, Lebanon reached the final qualifying round for the first time thanks to a 2–1 victory against South Korea at home in 2011, but failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finishing bottom of their group. At the 2019 Asian Cup, Lebanon were close to qualifying to the knock-out stages for the first time. However, they lost a tiebreaker to Vietnam in the third-place ranking on the fair play rule and were knocked out of the competition at the group stage. Lebanon also compete in the Arab Cup, the WAFF Championship, and the Arab Games. As hosts, they have finished third—once at the Arab Cup (1963) and twice at the Arab Games (1957 and 1997).
Inspired by their national symbol, the Lebanese team is known as "the Cedars" () by fans and media. Their home kit is primarily red and their away kit white, a reference to their national flag. After a steady decline in their FIFA ranking 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.
History
1933–1947: Formation and early matches
Lebanon was one of the first nations in the Middle East to establish a formal administrative body for association football. On 22 March 1933, representatives from 13 football clubs gathered in the Minet El Hosn district of Beirut to form the Lebanese Football Association (LFA). The LFA was initially led by Hussein Sejaan, and became a member of FIFA in 1936.
On 3 February 1934, the LFA organized a training camp for 22 players from Beirut in preparation for a friendly match against the Romanian club CA Timișoara (TAC). The players were divided into two teams and competed against each other at the American University of Beirut (AUB) field. The Beirut XI team eventually faced TAC on 21 November 1935 at the AUB field, losing 3–0.
On 29 October 1939, the Beirut XI played their first match against Syria's Damascus XI in Beirut, resulting in a 5–4 defeat. They played a return game in Damascus on 14 November, which resulted in a 6–1 win for Beirut XI. 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.
thumb|alt=Lebanese forward Camille Cordahi running downfield toward the camera|Lebanese forward [[Camille Cordahi during the 1940 match against Mandatory Palestine]]
The Lebanese national team's first official FIFA-recognized match was played on 27 April 1940, facing Mandatory Palestine at the Maccabiah Stadium in Palestine. The game ended in a 5–1 defeat for Lebanon, with an estimated attendance of 6,000 to 10,000 spectators. Mandatory Palestine dominated the first half, scoring four goals. In the second half, Lebanese forward Camille Cordahi, assisted by Muhieddine Jaroudi, scored Lebanon's first official international goal. The trophy, donated by French diplomat in 1939, was intended to be a regular fixture between Lebanon and Syria. The match, held at the AUB field in front of 3,000 spectators, saw Lebanon coached by Abed Traboulsi and captained by Labib Majdalani. and 1–0 in Aleppo on 18 May.
1953–1963: Early international football and regional tournaments
Coached by Vinzenz Dittrich, Lebanon participated in their first international tournament at the inaugural edition of the football tournament at the Arab Games, held in Egypt in 1953. The team finished at the bottom of its group after a 4–1 loss to Jordan, and a 0–0 draw with Syria. In the fifth-place match, Lebanon secured a 9–1 victory over Palestine.
In February 1956, Lebanon played Hungary in a notable 4–1 home defeat, during which Hungarian star Ferenc Puskás scored two goals. Lebanon also participated in unofficial matches against prominent European clubs such as Dynamo Moscow, Leipzig, and Spartak Trnava in 1957.
In October 1957, Lebanon hosted the second edition of the Arab Games and were drawn with Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Jordan in the group stages. In the semifinals, Lebanon lost 4–2 to Tunisia. They finished in third place after Morocco withdrew from the third-place match. Lebanon played their first Olympic Games qualifiers in 1959 between November and December. Coached by English coach Harry Wright, Lebanon were grouped with Iraq and Turkey. 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.
The 1961 Arab Games, marking the third edition of the competition, were held in Morocco. The tournament featured six teams competing in a single round-robin format. Lebanon's national team participated in the event, under head coach Joseph Nalbandian, recording a mixed set of results. Lebanon won matches against Saudi Arabia (7–1) and Kuwait (4–0), and suffered defeats against Morocco (1–0), the United Arab Republic (UAR; 4–0), and Libya (3–2). Lebanon finished in fourth place out of the six participating teams.
thumb|Lebanon at the [[1963 Arab Cup|alt=Eleven Lebanese football players posing for a photo prior to a football match]]
Lebanon hosted the inaugural Arab Cup in 1963, marking the first edition of the tournament. In 1962, the LFA, under the leadership of its president Georges Dabbas, formally advocated for the establishment of the tournament. The inaugural competition took place in Beirut between April and May 1963, featuring five participating teams. 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. followed by a 4–0 loss to Turkey, and a 2–0 victory over Malta. In their final group match against the UAR on 25 September, the game was abandoned in the 27th minute due to a waterlogged pitch with the score at 0–0; after a dispute over the venue for the rescheduled match, Lebanon withdrew from the competition and the UAR was awarded a 2–0 walkover victory.
1964–1971: Continued regional participation and AFC affiliation
thumb|Lebanon's captain, [[Joseph Abou Mrad (left), shaking hands with Iraq's captain before their match at the 1964 Arab Cup|alt=Two football players shaking hands, with two match officials in the background.]]
Lebanon played at the 1964 Tripoli Fair Tournament, held in Tripoli, Libya in March; in a group with Sudan B, Morocco B, Malta B, and hosts Libya, they finished in first place with seven points.
The 1965 Arab Games, the fourth edition of the event, took place in Cairo, UAR. Lebanon was placed in Group A alongside the UAR, Palestine, Iraq, and Aden. The team finished fourth in the group. In the 1966 Arab Cup, the third edition held in Iraq, Lebanon were drawn with Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain in Group A. After three wins and a draw, they qualified to the semi-finals against Syria, where they lost 1–0. In the third-place match, Lebanon lost 6–1 to Libya, finishing the competition in fourth place.
Lebanon participated in the 1968 Olympic Games qualifiers, held in Tokyo, 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. Lebanon began with a 1–1 draw against South Vietnam, followed by a 2–0 loss to South Korea, and a 3–1 defeat to Japan. However, the team secured two notable victories: an 11–1 win over the Philippines on 6 October, which remains Lebanon's largest margin of victory to date, The match against the Philippines featured four goals by Joseph Abou Mrad and three by Samir Nassar. but lost the second 1–0 in Baghdad. A decisive third match was held in Istanbul, Turkey, where Iraq secured a 2–1 victory, advancing to the second round of qualifiers; Lebanon was eliminated from the competition.
After joining the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1969, Lebanon's first Asian Cup qualifying campaign was for the 1972 tournament under coach Abou Mrad. 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, and was placed in Group B alongside Kuwait and Syria. In the group stage, Lebanon suffered a 1–0 defeat to Kuwait, but secured a 3–2 victory over Syria, advancing to the semi-finals. However, in the decisive semi-final match, where a win would have guaranteed qualification, Lebanon lost 4–1 to Iraq. The team concluded their campaign with a 2–0 consolation victory over Jordan in the third-place match.
1979–1988: Civil war and international disruptions
thumb|The destroyed [[Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium during the Lebanese Civil War in 1982|alt=Exterior of the destroyed Camille Chamoun stadium]]
Despite the Lebanese Civil 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 the Kataeb Regulatory Forces' War Council building, the paramilitary wing of the Kataeb Party. Despite this political interference, the national team proceeded with its travel to South Korea for the match. The decisive match proved controversial, with refereeing decisions including a disputed penalty awarded to Syria, a disallowed Lebanese goal, and the sending off of three Lebanese players. These incidents contributed to Lebanon's 1–0 defeat, resulting in their elimination from the competition.
At the 1987 Mediterranean Games in Latakia, Syria, Lebanon participated in the football tournament but struggled competitively. After an initial 0–0 draw against San Marino, defeats to Turkey Olympic (1–0) and hosts Syria (6–1) saw the team finish third in their group and fail to progress beyond the group stage. and a 0–0 draw with Palestine, Lebanon competed in the finals in Jordan. Drawn in a group with Egypt, 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. Their 57-year gap between joining FIFA in 1936 and entering a full World Cup qualifying campaign in 1993 was the longest at the time; the record was surpassed by the Philippines three years later with a gap of 68 years. Lebanon finished third in their group with two wins, four draws, and two losses, failing to advance. Lebanon were also named Asian Team of the Month. Coached by Josip Skoblar and captained by Jamal Taha, Lebanon were drawn with Iran, Iraq, and Thailand in Group A. Lebanon opened the tournament on 12 October, with a 4–0 defeat to Iran at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in front of 52,418 spectators. and Moussa Hojeij, earning their first point in the competition. Lebanon entered the qualifiers for the 2004 Asian Cup. Lebanon finished third in their qualifying group with four points. However, before Lebanon's match against Bahrain on 16 August 2006, the AFC accepted the LFA's withdrawal request due to the 2006 Lebanon War, which had forced several players to flee their homes.
In the first round of qualification for the 2010 World Cup, Lebanon defeated India 6–3 on aggregate to advance to the third round. Drawn with Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Uzbekistan, they finished bottom of the group without a point. In the preliminary round of qualifying for the 2011 Asian Cup,