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|round=[[2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)#Group A|2026 WCQ]] / [[2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification#Second round|2027 ACQ]]
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|report=https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/520/288263/288267/400017174?gender=1&date=2023-11-15
|report=[https://nr.soccerway.com/matches/2023/11/16/asia/wc-qualifying-asia/kuwait/india/4190899/ Report]
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Revision as of 02:37, 17 November 2023

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Kuwait women's national football team.

Kuwait
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Al-Azraq (The Blue)
(The Blue Wave)
AssociationKuwait Football Association
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationWAFF (West Asia)
Head coachRui Bento
CaptainFahad Al Hajeri
Most capsBader Al-Mutawa (196)[1]
Top scorerBashar Abdullah (75)
Home stadiumJaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
FIFA codeKUW
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 134 Increase 1 (28 November 2024)[2]
Highest24 (December 1998)
Lowest189 (December 2017)
First international
 Kuwait 2–2 Libya 
(Morocco; 3 September 1961)
Biggest win
 Kuwait 20–0 Bhutan 
(Kuwait City, Kuwait; 14 February 2000)
Biggest defeat
 United Arab Republic 8–0 Kuwait 
(Morocco; 4 September 1961)
 Portugal 8–0 Kuwait 
(Leiria, Portugal; 19 November 2003)
World Cup
Appearances1 (first in 1982)
Best resultGroup stage (1982)
Asian Cup
Appearances10 (first in 1972)
Best resultChampions (1980)
Arab Cup
Appearances8 (first in 1963)
Best resultThird place (1964, 1992, 1998)
WAFF Championship
Appearances4 (first in 2010)
Best resultChampions (2010)
Arabian Gulf Cup
Appearances25 (first in 1970)
Best resultChampions (1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2010)

The Kuwait national football team (Template:Lang-ar) is the national team of Kuwait and is controlled by the Kuwait Football Association. Kuwait made one World Cup finals appearance, in 1982, managing one point in the group stages. In the Asian Cup, Kuwait reached the final in 1976 and won the tournament in 1980.[4]

Kuwait's 20–0 win over Bhutan in 2000 was, at the time, the biggest-ever victory in international football. It was surpassed in 2001, when Australia beat American Samoa 31–0.

While Kuwait was one of Asia's major football forces from the 1970s to the 2000s, the strength of the national team started to fade slowly from the 2010s, with Kuwait failing in two consecutive Asian Cups in 2011 and 2015, before being disqualified for 2019 edition and missing out on 2023 AFC Asian Cup. The team has also failed to reach any World Cup since 1982.

History

Early successes

Kuwait's first international match was played in the 1961 Arab Games against Libya, which ended in a 2–2 draw. Kuwait's biggest loss was against the United Arab Republic when they lost 8–0 in the same tournament. Kuwait's national football team joined the World Cup in 1982, which was held in Spain. Kuwait was placed in the fourth group and got fourth place after defeats to England and France and a respectable draw with Czechoslovakia. Kuwait won the Asian Cup in 1980, which was held on its soil. Kuwait won the Final 3–0 against South Korea. Kuwait's historical highest FIFA ranking was 24th place, achieved in December 1998. Bader Al-Mutawa is the most capped player of the Kuwaiti team, and Bashar Abdullah is the top goalscorer in the history of the Kuwait national football team. Kuwait has won the Arabian Gulf Cup ten times, and is the most successful team in winning that competition. Kuwait's most historical manager was Luiz Felipe Scolari, who won the World Cup with Brazil, and was forced to leave the country after the 1990 invasion by Iraq. He led Kuwait to win the 1990 Gulf Cup beating Qatar in The Final.

Kuwait's biggest win was against Bhutan, which ended in a thrilling 20–0 win, which was the biggest win until Australia won 31–0 against American Samoa in 2001. Kuwait's most successful years were between 1970 and 1990 which had players like Jasem Yaqoub, Faisal Al-Dakhil, and Saad Al-Houti.

Suspensions

On 30 October 2007, Kuwait was suspended by FIFA from all participation in international football, on the grounds of governmental interference in the national football association.[5] The ban lasted less than 2 weeks.[6] On 24 October 2008, Kuwait was again suspended by FIFA from all participation in international football, because it failed to hold the General Assembly elections by mid-October.[7] FIFA provisionally lifted its suspension on the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) on 22 December 2008.[8] By the time, while Kuwait remained a formidable force in the Gulf, it has also declined from Asia's relevance, unable to progress from the group stage of the 2011 and 2015 AFC Asian Cups, the team finished last with no point in both tournaments.

Once again, on 16 October 2015, Kuwait was suspended for the third time as FIFA did not recognize the new sports law in the country.[9] Kuwait tried to get the suspension lifted at the 66th FIFA Congress but this was rejected. Therefore from the earlier announcement on 27 April 2016, the hosting of the Gulf Cup tournament would also be moved to Qatar.[10] The suspension was eventually lifted on 6 December 2017, after Kuwait adopted a new sports law. By this time, the team had fallen from 139th place to 189th place in the FIFA World Rankings due to its inactivity, which also caused the team to miss the qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.[11][12][13]

On 7 December 2017, it was announced that Kuwait would host the 2017 Gulf Cup tournament after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, all withdrew when the tournament was previously set to be hosted by Qatar because of the Qatari diplomatic crisis, so it was moved to Kuwait to please all withdrawn parties to participate.

Revival

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, Kuwait, which only started to rebuild its team following years of suspensions and instabilities, was drawn in group B alongside old foes Australia and Jordan, outside minnows Nepal and Chinese Taipei. Although Kuwait has better head-to-head records against Australia in major tournaments, suspensions and inactivities proved detrimental as the team lost 0–3 twice. Still, the qualifiers stood out as the best qualification for Kuwait since 2006, where Kuwait impressed by finishing second, though being unable to progress to the third round.

Team image

Home Stadium

Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium

The Kuwait National Team has two home stadiums, and they are Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium and Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium. Jaber Al-Ahmed International Stadium was built in 2009, and Kuwait celebrated winning the 20th Gulf Cup in that stadium; while Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium is for the Kuwaiti club Kazma SC and was the Kuwait national team home. Following the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification-AFC second round, playing against the Philippines on 23 July 2011, this was the last time Mohammed Al-Hamed Stadium was Kuwait's Home stadium. On 16 May 2012, Kuwait played against the 2011–12 La Liga Champions Real Madrid in Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, the home ground of Kuwaiti club Kuwait SC, which Real Madrid won 2–0. Kuwait played their entire 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification-AFC third round in Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, beating the United Arab Emirates 2–1, drawing with South Korea 1–1 and losing to Lebanon 1–0.

Before Jaber Al-Ahmed international stadium was finally built in 2009, Kuwait played in Mohammed Al-Hamed Stadium. When Kuwait hosted the 1980 Asian Cup, the tournament was hosted in Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, which has a capacity of 22,000 spectators and was the largest stadium in Kuwait at that time, and Kuwait won their first and only Asian Cup of all time in that stadium. When Kuwait hosted the 1974 Gulf Cup, it was the first time Kuwait had hosted a Gulf Cup competition, and all the matches were played in Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium. Kuwait were champions of that competition for the first time in their history on home soil, and the third time in a row overall. In 1990, Kuwait hosted the 1990 Gulf Cup for the second time in its history and were crowned Champions of that competition. All of the games were played at Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium. In the 2003 Gulf Cup, Kuwait hosted the competition for the third time, and once again, all the matches were played in one stadium, the Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium. However, Kuwait lost the competition. In the 2017 Gulf Cup, Kuwait hosted the tournament for the fourth time. All the matches were played in two stadiums, the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium and Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium. However, Kuwait was eliminated from the group stage after losing to Saudi Arabia and Oman and drawing with the United Arab Emirates.

Media coverage

All Kuwait matches are broadcast with full commentary on Kuwait TV Sport. These matches are live and exclusive. beIN Sports broadcast Kuwait matches live and exclusive. So broadcast exclusively on 3 different channels, which is not exclusive. Dubai Sports broadcast Kuwait matches only in special events like the Gulf Cup, Asian Cup and others.

Kit

Kuwaits traditional colors are blue and white: The blue kits are their home ones and the whites for matches away. The blue sea and sky are important in Kuwait because it shows the connection of the people to pearl hunting as well as the spaciousness of the universe. Kuwait's official kit provider is currently the sports company Errea and will be Adidas from 2023 onwards. Kuwait wore the blue shirts in the 1980 AFC Asian Cup and the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Kit suppliers

Period Kit Provider
1980–1991 Germany Puma
1992–1997 Thailand Grand Sport
1997–2001 Spain Kelme
2001–2002 United Kingdom Umbro
2003–2008 Germany Saller
2009–2011 Switzerland Burrda
2012–2013 Italy Kappa
2014–2016 Germany Uhlsport
2017–2022 Italy Erreà
2023– Germany Adidas

Rivalries

Kuwait vs. Iraq
Statistics vs.  Iraq[14]
Played1 Wins2 Draws Losses GF GA
35 8 9 17 34 48

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

Iraq's rivalry with Kuwait was once considered as the Arab world's greatest football rivalry of all-time.[15][16] The rivalry began in the mid 1970s and it was the decade from 1976 until 1986 that saw the golden age of football for arguably the finest teams the region has produced. Both nations imposed their complete domination on the Gulf region, and from the Gulf Cup's inception in 1970 until 1990, the tournament was won by only two teams; Kuwait seven times (1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1990), and despite Iraq's absence in the first three editions and withdrawal in two others, Iraq won it three times (1979, 1984, 1988).[15]

Iraq and Kuwait took their increasingly bitter rivalry to a new level. On 11 June 1976, the two met in the semi-final of the Asian Cup in Tehran; Kuwait took the lead twice, Iraq came roaring back twice, And then, in the 10th minute of extra time, Kamel scored the winner for Kuwait. In 1979, the year Iraq clinched their first Gulf Cup and won over Kuwait 3–1, the two met in a qualifier for the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games, both managed to qualify for the Olympic Games, and both made it to the quarter-finals in Moscow. Iraq also qualified for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and 1988 Games in Seoul. The 1982 Asian Games was won as well. Kuwait won the 1980 AFC Asian Cup, which they hosted. The nations also left their mark on the world stage. Kuwait qualified for the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain. Iraq matched that in Mexico 1986.[15]

As Iraq and Kuwait traded Gulf titles in 1988 and 1990, few could have imagined that their rivalry on the football field would be replaced by an altogether more catastrophic one on the battlefield. Because of the Gulf war, football would never be the same again. Iraq and Kuwait were in complete avoidance and never met for more than a decade. Kuwait's Blues had a relative recovery of sorts, winning the Gulf Cup in 1996 and 1998, before securing their record 10th title in 2010. Iraqi football, because of Uday Hussein's reign as head of the football association, would take far longer to recover. When it did, it was in glorious fashion, the Lions of Mesopotamia winning the 2007 Asian Cup.[15]

Kuwait vs. Saudi Arabia
Statistics vs.  Saudi Arabia[17]
Played1 Wins2 Draws Losses GF GA
42 15 13 15 44 44

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

The Kuwait vs. Saudi Arabia football rivalry dates back several decades and is one of the most intense in the Middle East. Both countries have a rich history in football, with Kuwait producing some of the region's finest players, including Khalid Al-Muhairi and Bader Al-Mutwa. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has consistently been among the top teams in Asia, having won three AFC Asian Cups and qualified for five FIFA World Cups. The match between the two sides is always a tightly contested affair, with each team fighting hard to come out on top. While both nations have exchanged victories over time, Kuwait holds the edge over their rivals with more wins under their belt. Nevertheless, this longstanding rivalry continues to produce exciting matches and high levels of interest among fans across the region.

Results and fixtures

Main articles: Kuwait national football team results and Kuwait national football team results (2020–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

2022

19 November 2022 Friendly Kuwait  2–0  Lebanon Dubai, United Arab Emirates
19:00 UTC+4
Report Stadium: Police Officers' Club Stadium
Referee: Ahmed Eisa Mohamed (United Arab Emirates)
30 December 2022 Friendly Iraq  1–0  Kuwait Basra, Iraq
--:-- UTC+3
Stadium: Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium

2023

7 January 2023 25th Arabian Gulf Cup Kuwait  0–2  Qatar Basra, Iraq
19:15 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium
Referee: Ma Ning (China)
10 January 2023 25th Arabian Gulf Cup United Arab Emirates  0–1  Kuwait Basra, Iraq
16:15 UTC+3 Report Al-Dhefiri 90+3' Stadium: Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium
Referee: Shukri Al-Hanfoush (Saudi Arabia)
13 January 2023 25th Arabian Gulf Cup Bahrain  1–1  Kuwait Basra, Iraq
18:00 UTC+3 Abdullatif 26' Report Al-Khaldi 45' Stadium: Basra International Stadium
Referee: István Kovács (Romania)
24 March 2023 Friendly Kuwait  2–0  Philippines Kuwait City, Kuwait
22:00 UTC+3
Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
Referee: Shukri Al-Hunfoush (Saudi Arabia)
28 March 2023 Friendly Kuwait  2–1  Tajikistan Kuwait City, Kuwait
--:-- UTC+3 Al-Fadhel 9'
Al-Khaldi 61'		 A.Dzhalilov 90' Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)
12 June 2023 Unofficial Friendly Kuwait  3–0  Zambia Cairo, Egypt
--:-- UTC+3 Al-Khaldi 16', 59'
El Ebrahim 51'		 Report Stadium: Cairo International Stadium
15 June 2023 Unofficial Friendly Kuwait  2–1  Sudan Cairo, Egypt
20:00 UTC+3 Al-Khaldi 55', 61' Stadium: Cairo International Stadium
21 June 2023 2023 SAFF Championship Kuwait  3–1    Nepal Bangalore, India
15:30 UTC+5:30 Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
27 June 2023 2023 SAFF Championship India  1–1  Kuwait Bangalore, India
19:30 UTC+5:30 Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
1 July 2023 (2023-07-01) 2023 SAFF Championship Semi-finals Kuwait  1–0 (a.e.t.)  Bangladesh Bengaluru, India
15:00 UTC+5:30
Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
4 July 2023 (2023-07-04) 2023 SAFF Championship Final Kuwait  1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–5 p)		  India Bangalore, India
19:30 UTC+5:30 Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
Note: India wins on penalties
7 September 2023 (2023-09-07) Friendly Kuwait  3–1  Bahrain Dubai, United Arab Emirates
19:00 UTC+4 Al-Dhefiri 4'
Al-Khaldi 56', 65'		 Report Youssef 72' Stadium: Police Officers' Club Stadium
11 September 2023 (2023-09-11) Friendly Kuwait  1–3  Kyrgyzstan Al Lisaili, United Arab Emirates
20:00 UTC+4 Report Stadium: The Sevens Stadium
12 October 2023 Friendly United Arab Emirates  1–0  Kuwait Dubai, United Arab Emirates
21:00 UTC+4
Report Stadium: Al Maktoum Stadium
17 October 2023 Friendly Syria  1–2  Kuwait Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Report Al-Khaldi 43', 47' Stadium: Police Officers' Club Stadium
16 November 2023 (2023-11-16) 2026 WCQ / 2027 ACQ Kuwait  0–1  India Kuwait City, Kuwait
Report
Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
Attendance: 32,786
Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)
21 November 2023 (2023-11-21) 2026 WCQ / 2027 ACQ Afghanistan  v  Kuwait Dushanbe,Tajikistan
Stadium: Central Republican Stadium, Dushanbe (Tajikistan)[note 1]

2024

January Friendly Saudi Arabia  v  Kuwait Doha, Qatar
21 March 2026 WCQ / 2027 ACQ Qatar  v  Kuwait Doha, Qatar
26 March 2026 WCQ / 2027 ACQ Kuwait  v  Qatar Kuwait City, Kuwait
6 June 2026 WCQ / 2027 ACQ India  v  Kuwait Bangalore, India
11 June 2026 WCQ / 2027 ACQ Kuwait  v  Afghanistan Kuwait City, Kuwait
December 26th Arabian Gulf Cup Kuwait  v TBD Kuwait City, Kuwait
December 26th Arabian Gulf Cup Kuwait  v TBD Kuwait City, Kuwait
December 26th Arabian Gulf Cup TBD v  Kuwait Kuwait City, Kuwait

Coaching staff

Name Role
Head Coach Portugal Rui Bento
Assistant Coach Portugal Francisco Gouveia
Assistant Coach Portugal Vasco Pereira
Assistant Coach Portugal Filipe Joaquim do Rêgo Meneses
First Team Coach Portugal Paulo Vieira
First Team Coach Portugal João Francisco do Pinho Coentro
Goalkeeper Coach Portugal Tiago Manta
Fitness Coach Portugal José Vasconcelos
Physiotherapist Portugal Ricardo Couto
Team Doctor Portugal João Pedro Pinho
Technical Director Portugal Diogo Rebelo

Coaching history

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2023 SAFF Championship between 21 June and 4 July 2023.[18]

Caps and goals as of 4 July 2023, after the game against India.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
22 1GK Sulaiman Abdulghafour (1991-02-26)26 February 1991 (aged 31) 36 0 Kuwait Al-Arabi
1GK Abdulrahman Kameel (2001-03-08) 8 March 2001 (age 23) 5 0 Kuwait Al-Kuwait
1GK Bader Al-Saanoun (1996-11-24) 24 November 1996 (age 28) 3 0 Kuwait Al-Jahra
2DF Fahad Al Hajeri (captain) (1991-11-10) 10 November 1991 (age 33) 62 5 Kuwait Al-Kuwait
2DF Hamad Al-Qallaf (1999-12-04) 4 December 1999 (age 25) 23 0 Kuwait Al-Arabi
2DF Khalid El Ebrahim (1992-08-28) 28 August 1992 (age 32) 21 3 Kuwait Al-Qadsia
2DF Mahdi Dashti (2001-10-26) 26 October 2001 (age 23) 12 0 Kuwait Al-Salmiya
2DF Ali Abdel Al-Rasoul (1999-01-13) 13 January 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Kuwait Al-Arabi
2DF Abdullah Al Buloushi (1996-05-08) 8 May 1996 (age 28) 6 1 Kuwait Al-Arabi
3MF Sultan Al Enezi (1992-09-29) 29 September 1992 (age 32) 39 0 Kuwait Al-Arabi
3MF Ahmed Al-Dhefiri (1992-01-09) 9 January 1992 (age 32) 37 2 Kuwait Al-Kuwait
3MF Hamad Al Harbi (1992-07-25) 25 July 1992 (age 32) 27 1 Kuwait Kazma
3MF Fawaz Ayedh (1997-02-21) 21 February 1997 (age 27) 23 1 Kuwait Al-Salmiya
3MF Redha Hani (1996-04-22) 22 April 1996 (age 28) 23 1 Kuwait Al-Kuwait
3MF Abdullah Al Fahed (1997-02-12) 12 February 1997 (age 27) 6 0 Kuwait Kazma
4FW Faisal Zayid (1991-10-09) 9 October 1991 (age 33) 45 6 Kuwait Al-Kuwait
4FW Mobarak Al-Faneeni (2000-01-21) 21 January 2000 (age 24) 33 5 Kuwait Al-Qadsia
4FW Eid Al Rashidi (1999-05-25) 25 May 1999 (age 25) 29 2 Kuwait Al-Qadsia
4FW Shabaib Al-Khaldi (1998-08-11) 11 August 1998 (age 26) 26 9 United Arab Emirates Hatta
3MF Ali Khalaf (1995-01-16) 16 January 1995 (age 29) 11 2 Kuwait Al-Arabi
4FW Ahmad Zanki (1995-12-17) 17 December 1995 (age 28) 9 1 Kuwait Al-Kuwait
3MF Bader Al-Fadhel (1997-04-22) 22 April 1997 (age 27) 6 3 Kuwait Al-Arabi
4FW Salman Al-Awadhi (2001-05-21) 21 May 2001 (age 23) 7 0 Kuwait Al-Arabi

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Kuwait squad within the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Dhari Al-Otaibi (2002-03-31) 31 March 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Kuwait Kuwait SC v.  Bahrain, 13 January 2023
DF Rashed Al-Dosary (2000-07-18) 18 July 2000 (age 24) 11 0 Kuwait Al-Qadsia v.  Tajikistan, 28 March 2023
DF Mohammed Al-Nassar (1996-05-24) 24 May 1996 (age 28) 3 0 Kuwait Kazma v.  Tajikistan, 28 March 2023
DF Hassan Hamdan (2000-09-01) 1 September 2000 (age 24) 5 0 Kuwait Al-Arabi v.  Bahrain, 13 January 2023
DF Meshari Ghanam (1997-08-28) 28 August 1997 (age 27) 5 0 Kuwait Kuwait SC v.  Bahrain, 13 January 2023
DF Bader Jamal (1996-12-10) 10 December 1996 (age 28) 2 0 Kuwait Al-Salmiya v.  Bahrain, 13 January 2023
DF Abdulaziz Wadi (1998-12-06) 6 December 1998 (age 26) 3 0 Kuwait Al-Qadsia 25th Arabian Gulf CupPRE
MF Yaqoub Al-Tararwa (1994-03-07) 7 March 1994 (age 30) 6 2 Kuwait Kuwait SC 25th Arabian Gulf CupPRE
MF Khaled Shaman (1996-08-14) 14 August 1996 (age 28) 1 0 Kuwait Al-Nasr v.  Lebanon, 19 November 2022
FW Bader Al-Fadhel (1997-04-22) 22 April 1997 (age 27) 4 1 Kuwait Al-Arabi v.  Tajikistan, 28 March 2023
FW Ibrahim Kameel (2002-06-10) 10 June 2002 (age 22) 7 1 Kuwait Kuwait SC v.  Bahrain, 13 January 2023
FW Mohammad Bajeyah (2001-03-15) 15 March 2001 (age 23) 4 1 Kuwait Al-Jahra v.  Bahrain, 13 January 2023
FW Abdulaziz Marwi (1998-09-29) 29 September 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Kuwait Al-Jahra 25th Arabian Gulf CupPRE

Previous squads

World Cup squads
Asian Cup squads

Records

As of 14 June 2022[19]
Players in bold are still active with Kuwait.

Most appearances

Bader Al-Mutawa is Kuwait's most capped player with 196 appearances.
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Bader Al-Mutawa 196 56 2003–present
2 Waleed Ali 136 8 2002–2014
3 Bashar Abdullah 134 75 1996–2007
4 Musaed Neda 125 20 2002–2015
5 Nawaf Al-Khaldi 115 0 2000–2014
6 Jarah Al Ateeqi 112 4 2001–2013
7 Nohair Al-Shammari 109 2 1996–2009
Wael Sulaiman 109 16 1986–1996
9 Jamal Mubarak 107 9 1994–2004
10 Yousef Nasser 105 49 2009–present

Top goalscorers

Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Bashar Abdullah 75 134 0.56 1996–2007
2 Jassem Al Houwaidi 63 83 0.76 1992–2003
3 Bader Al-Mutawa 56 196 0.29 2003–present
4 Yousef Nasser 49 105 0.47 2009–present
5 Jasem Yaqoub 36 49 0.73 1972–1982
6 Faisal Al-Dakhil 36 67 0.54 1974–1988
7 Faraj Laheeb 23 45 0.51 1998–2008
8 Musaed Neda 20 125 0.16 2002–2015
9 Ahmad Ajab 17 36 0.47 2005–2013
10 Ali Marwi 16 24 0.67 1988–1998

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

Main article: Kuwait at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to Mexico 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 6 1 1 4 4 8
Argentina 1978 12 8 1 3 23 10
Spain 1982 Round 1 21st 3 0 1 2 2 6 9 7 1 1 20 6
Mexico 1986 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 8 2
Italy 1990 4 3 0 1 6 3
United States 1994 6 3 2 1 21 4
France 1998 12 6 2 4 17 9
South Korea Japan 2002 6 4 1 1 9 3
Germany 2006 12 6 1 5 19 15
South Africa 2010 6 1 1 4 8 12
Brazil 2014 8 4 2 2 13 10
Russia 2018 Disqualified due to FIFA suspension [20][21] 8 3 1 4 12 10
Qatar 2022 Did not qualify 8 4 2 2 19 7
Canada Mexico United States 2026 to be determined 1 0 0 1 0 1
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 to be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Best: Round 1 1/22 3 0 1 2 2 6 102 52 16 34 189 100

AFC Asian Cup

Main article: Kuwait at the AFC Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup record AFC Asian Cup qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 Not a AFC member Not a AFC member
South Korea 1960
Israel 1964
Iran 1968 Withdrew Withdrew
Thailand 1972 Group stage 5th 2 1 0 1 2 5 5 2 2 1 6 4
Iran 1976 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 6 3 Qualified by default
Kuwait 1980 Champions 1st 6 4 1 1 13 6 Qualified as hosts
Singapore 1984 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 5 4 Qualified as defending champions
Qatar 1988 Group stage 7th 4 0 3 1 2 3 4 3 1 0 9 0
Japan 1992 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 4 3
United Arab Emirates 1996 Fourth place 4th 6 2 1 3 9 6 4 2 2 0 9 5
Lebanon 2000 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 3 3 4 4 0 0 33 1
China 2004 Group stage 10th 3 1 0 2 3 7 6 5 1 0 17 5
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 3 4
Qatar 2011 Group stage 14th 3 0 0 3 1 7 6 2 3 1 6 5
Australia 2015 15th 3 0 0 3 1 6 6 2 3 1 10 7
United Arab Emirates 2019 Disqualified due to FIFA suspension 8 3 1 4 12 10
Qatar 2023 Did not qualify 11 5 2 4 24 13
Saudi Arabia 2027 To be determined To be determined
Total Best: Champions 10/19 42 15 10 18 45 51 60 30 16 14 133 57
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
**Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won. Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
France 1900 to Australia 1956 Did not enter
Italy 1960 to Canada 1976 Did not qualify
Soviet Union 1980 Quarter-finals 4 1 2 1 5 4
United States 1984 to South Korea 1988 Did not qualify
1992–present See Kuwait national under-23 football team
Total Best: Quarter-finals 4 1 2 1 5 4

Asian Games

Asian Games record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
India 1951 to Thailand 1970 Did not enter
Iran 1974 6th place 5 3 0 2 12 8
Thailand 1978 5th place 6 3 1 2 13 8
India 1982 Runners-up 6 5 0 1 13 5
South Korea 1986 Third place 7 5 2 0 20 3
China 1990 7th place 4 1 1 2 3 4
Japan 1994 Third place 6 4 1 1 15 6
Thailand 1998 Runners-up 8 3 2 3 23 8
2002–present See Kuwait national under-23 football team
Total 7/13 42 24 7 11 99 42

WAFF Championship

West Asian Football Federation Championship record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA GD
Jordan 2000 Did not participate
Syria 2002
Iran 2004
Jordan 2007
Iran 2008
Jordan 2010 Champions 4 2 2 0 7 5 +2
Kuwait 2012 Group stage 3 2 0 1 4 4 0
Qatar 2014 Fourth place 4 1 1 2 3 5 –2
Iraq 2019 Group stage 3 1 1 1 3 3 0
United Arab Emirates 2023 Qualified
Total 4/9 12 6 4 4 17 17 0

Arabian Gulf Cup

Year Host Country Result Pld W D L GF GA
1970  Bahrain Champions 3 3 0 0 10 4
1972  Saudi Arabia Champions 3 2 1 0 14 2
1974  Kuwait Champions 4 4 0 0 16 0
1976  Qatar Champions 7 5 2 0 26 7
1979  Iraq Runners-up 6 4 1 1 15 4
1982  UAE Champions 5 4 0 1 8 2
1984  Oman Sixth place 6 1 2 3 4 8
1986  Bahrain Champions 6 5 1 0 11 4
1988  Saudi Arabia Fifth place 6 1 2 3 3 4
1990  Kuwait Champions 4 3 1 0 10 2
1992  Qatar Fifth place 5 2 0 3 5 8
1994  UAE Fifth place 5 1 1 3 2 6
1996  Oman Champions 5 4 0 1 7 4
1998  Bahrain Champions 5 4 0 1 18 5
2002  Saudi Arabia Fourth place 5 1 2 2 4 6
2003  Kuwait Sixth place 6 1 2 3 6 9
2004  Qatar Fourth place 5 2 1 2 7 7
2007  UAE Group stage 3 0 1 2 4 6
2009  Oman Semi-finals 4 1 2 1 2 2
2010  Yemen Champions 5 3 2 0 7 2
2013  Bahrain Third place 5 3 0 2 9 3
2014  Saudi Arabia Group stage 3 1 1 1 3 7
2017  Kuwait Group stage 3 0 1 2 1 3
2019  Qatar Group stage 3 1 0 2 6 7
2023  Iraq Group stage 3 1 1 1 2 3
2024  Kuwait Qualified
2025  Oman Qualified
Total 25/25 Best: Champions 115 57 24 34 200 115

Arab Games

Arab Games record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
1953–1957 Did not enter
Morocco 1961 6th 5 0 1 4 3 18
1965–1985 Did not enter
Lebanon 1997 Fourth place 5 2 0 3 8 9
1999–2007 Did not enter
Qatar 2011 Third place 4 3 0 1 7 2
Total 3/10 14 5 1 8 18 29

FIFA Arab Cup

FIFA Arab Cup record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
Lebanon 1963 Fourth place 4 1 0 3 5 15
Kuwait 1964 Third place 4 1 1 2 5 5
Iraq 1966 Group stage 4 0 2 2 8 1
Saudi Arabia 1985 Did not enter
Jordan 1988 Group stage 4 1 1 2 2 3
Syria 1992 Third place 4 2 0 2 6 5
Qatar 1998 Third place 4 3 0 1 13 4
Kuwait 2002 Group stage 4 1 2 1 6 6
Saudi Arabia 2012 Group stage 2 1 0 1 2 4
Qatar 2021 Did not qualify
Total Best: Third place 30 10 6 14 47 43

Head-to-head record

The following table shows Kuwait's all-time international record,

As of 16 November 2023 after match against  India[22]

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

Opponent
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Afghanistan 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1
 Algeria 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2
 Armenia 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2
 Australia 14 5 2 7 12 22 -10
 Azerbaijan 2 0 2 0 2 2 0
 Bahrain 50 22 13 15 70 48 +22
 Bangladesh 3 3 0 0 7 1 +6
 Bhutan 1 1 0 0 20 0 +20
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1
 Brazil 1 0 0 1 0 4 -4
 Bulgaria 5 0 3 2 6 9 -3
 Cambodia 1 0 0 1 0 4 -4
 Cameroon 1 0 0 1 1 3 -2
 China 19 5 5 9 16 26 -10
 Colombia 1 0 0 1 1 3 -2
 Cyprus 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
 Czech Republic 2 0 0 2 1 9 -8
 Czechoslovakia 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
 Ecuador 1 0 0 1 0 3 -3
 Egypt 13 1 7 5 10 23 -13
 England 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1
 Finland 7 2 2 3 5 6 -1
 France 2 0 0 2 1 5 -4
 Germany 1 0 0 1 0 7 -7
 East Germany 2 0 0 2 2 4 -2
 Hong Kong 7 6 1 0 18 4 +14
 Hungary 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1
 Iceland 7 1 4 2 3 4 -1
 India 6 2 2 2 19 7 +11
 Indonesia 7 2 3 2 12 8 +4
 Iran 29 7 8 13 27 35 -8
 Iraq 35 8 10 17 34 48 -14
 Ivory Coast 1 0 0 1 0 2 -2
 Japan 5 4 0 1 8 2 +6
 Jordan 24 8 11 6 30 25 +5
 Kazakhstan 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
 Kenya 1 1 0 0 5 0 +5
 North Korea 14 6 7 1 20 12 +8
 South Korea 23 8 3 12 20 30 -10
 Kyrgyzstan 5 3 1 1 11 5 +6
 Laos 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2
 Latvia 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2
 Lebanon 31 15 10 6 50 31 +19
 Libya 8 3 3 2 11 12 -1
 Lithuania 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1
 Macau 2 2 0 0 18 1 +17
 Malaysia 13 9 2 2 32 8 +24
 Mali 3 3 0 0 14 4 +10
 Mauritania 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2
 Mexico 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
 Mongolia 1 1 0 0 11 0 +11
 Morocco 6 0 2 4 5 14 -9
 Myanmar 6 3 0 3 18 12 +6
   Nepal 10 9 1 0 37 3 +34
 Niger 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2
 New Zealand 4 2 1 1 7 8 -1
 Norway 3 1 2 0 4 3 +1
 Oman 31 12 10 9 47 27 +20
 Pakistan 4 4 0 0 10 0 +10
 Palestine 9 7 1 1 20 7 +13
 Philippines 4 4 0 0 9 2 +7
 Poland 2 0 1 1 1 3 -2
 Portugal 2 0 1 1 1 9 -8
 Qatar 39 18 5 15 55 42 +13
 Romania 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1
 Russia 2 0 0 2 0 3 -3
 Saudi Arabia 42 15 12 15 44 44 0
 Singapore 10 7 2 1 20 6 +14
 Sudan 2 3 0 0 3 1 +2
 Soviet Union 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1
 Syria 34 14 9 11 52 38 +14
 Chinese Taipei 3 3 0 0 21 1 +20
 Tajikistan 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4
 Thailand 11 7 0 4 29 17 +12
 Trinidad and Tobago 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
 Tunisia 3 0 0 3 2 8 -6
 Turkmenistan 5 3 2 0 13 4 +9
 Uganda 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
 United Arab Emirates 45 18 8 17 70 49 +21
 United States 1 0 0 1 0 2 -2
 Uzbekistan 6 2 1 3 9 12 -3
 Vietnam 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1
 South Vietnam 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1
 Wales 2 0 2 0 0 0 0
 Yemen 13 7 4 0 25 4 +21
 South Yemen 1 1 0 0 5 1 +4
 Zambia 3 3 0 0 9 1 +8
 Zimbabwe 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3

Honours

Continental

Regional

* The 1992 edition organised as part of the Arab Games, and also counted as Arab Cup.

Invitational

Notes

  1. ^ Afghanistan will play their home game at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Afghan conflict.

References

  1. ^ "FIFA Century Club des Cent del la FIFA Club de los Cien de la FIFA" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2015.
  2. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  3. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Asia's greatest national teams: Kuwait (1980s) | Football News | Asian Qualifiers 2022". the-AFC. Archived from the original on 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  5. ^ "FIFA suspends Kuwait Football Federation". London: Guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2007.
  6. ^ "FIFA lifts suspension on Kuwait". FIFA. Archived from the original on November 11, 2007. Retrieved 9 November 2007.
  7. ^ "FIFA suspends Kuwait Football Federation". The-AFC.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  8. ^ "FIFA provisionally lifted its suspension on the Kuwait Football Association (KFA)". The-AFC.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
  9. ^ "Suspension of the Kuwait Football Association". FIFA. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  10. ^ "FIFA Congress drives football forward, first female secretary general appointed". FIFA. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  11. ^ "Suspension of the Kuwait Football Association lifted". FIFA.com. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  12. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - November 2017". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  13. ^ "FIFA lifts suspension on Kuwait's football association - Kuwait,Europe - ArabianBusiness.com". Archived from the original on 2017-12-06.
  14. ^ "Iraq - Record against..." worldfootball.net. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  15. ^ a b c d "Storied Gulf Cup rivalry between Iraq and Kuwait survives war". Archived from the original on 2016-08-29. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  16. ^ "Storied Gulf Cup rivalry between Iraq and Kuwait survives war". The National. 31 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2022-08-20. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  17. ^ "Kuwait - Record against Saudi Arabia". worldfootball.net. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  18. ^ "‏منتخب الكويت الأول ‏لمعسكر القاهرة وبطولة جنوب آسيا في". Instagram (in Arabic). kuwaitfootball. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  19. ^ Mamrud, Roberto. "Kuwait - Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  20. ^ "Kuwait sanctioned after unplayed FIFA World Cup™ qualifier". FIFA. 13 January 2016. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  21. ^ "FIFA sanctions several football associations after discriminatory chants by fans" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  22. ^ "Kuwait - Record against". 1 January 2023. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kuwait national football team.
Preceded by Asian Champions
1980 (First title) 		Succeeded by
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