Kuwait national football team

Summary

The Kuwait national football team (Arabic: منتخب الكويت لكرة القدم) 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
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 137 Decrease 1 (15 February 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)
Arabian Gulf Cup
Appearances25 (first in 1970)
Best resultChampions (1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2010)
WAFF Championship
Appearances4 (first in 2010)
Best resultChampions (2010)
Websitekuwait-fa.org/en/

Kuwait's 20–0 win over Bhutan in 2000 was, at the time, the biggest-ever margin of victory in international football. It was surpassed in 2001, when Australia defeated 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 edit

Early successes edit

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 edit

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 edit

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.

In June 2022, despite Kuwait became the host for their third round of 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers group. Kuwait failed to qualify, as they lost to Indonesia and Jordan.

In June 2023, Kuwait was invited as a guest team in the 2023 SAFF Championship, where Kuwait finished as runner-up, losing to India through penalty shootout in the final.

Team image edit

Home Stadium edit

 
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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

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

Rivalries edit

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 edit

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

2023 edit

28 March 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 Unofficial Friendly Kuwait   2–1   Sudan Cairo, Egypt
20:00 UTC+3 Al-Khaldi   55',   61' Stadium: Cairo International Stadium
21 June 2023 SAFF Championship Kuwait   3–1     Nepal Bangalore, India
15:30 UTC+5:30 Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
24 June 2023 SAFF Championship Pakistan   0–4   Kuwait Bangalore, India
15:30 UTC+5:30 Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
27 June 2023 SAFF Championship India   1–1   Kuwait Bangalore, India
19:30 UTC+5:30 Chhetri   45+2' Report A. Ali   90+2' (o.g.) Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
1 July 2023 SAFF Championship Semi-finals Kuwait   1–0 (a.e.t.)   Bangladesh Bengaluru, India
15:00 UTC+5:30
  • Al-Buloushi   105+2'
Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
4 July 2023 SAFF Championship Final Kuwait   1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–5 p)
  India Bangalore, India
19:30 UTC+5:30 Al-Khaldi   14' Report Chhangte   36' Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
Attendance: 26,380
Referee: Prajwol Chhetri (Nepal)
Penalties
7 September 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 Friendly Kuwait   1–3   Kyrgyzstan Al Lisaili, United Arab Emirates
20:00 UTC+4 Report Stadium: The Sevens Stadium
12 October Friendly United Arab Emirates   1–0   Kuwait Dubai, United Arab Emirates
21:00 UTC+4
Report Stadium: Al Maktoum Stadium
17 October Friendly Syria   1–2   Kuwait Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Al Somah   17' Report Al-Khaldi   43', 47' Stadium: Police Officers' Club Stadium
16 November 2026 World Cup qualification Kuwait   0–1   India Kuwait City, Kuwait
Report
Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
Attendance: 32,786
Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)
21 November 2026 World Cup qualification Afghanistan   0–4   Kuwait Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Report Stadium: Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium[note 1]

2024 edit

12 January Friendly Libya   3–1   Kuwait Cairo, Egypt
--:-- UTC+3 Stadium: Cairo International Stadium
19 January Friendly Kuwait   0–2   Uganda Cairo, Egypt
--:-- UTC+3 Stadium: Cairo International Stadium
21 March 2026 World Cup qualification Qatar   3–0   Kuwait Doha, Qatar
--:-- UTC+3 Report Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
26 March 2026 World Cup qualification Kuwait   1–2   Qatar Kuwait City, Kuwait
--:-- UTC+3 Report Stadium: TBA
6 June 2026 World Cup qualification India   v   Kuwait India
--:-- UTC+5:30 Report Stadium: TBA
11 June 2026 World Cup qualification Kuwait   v   Afghanistan Kuwait City, Kuwait
--:-- UTC+3 Report Stadium: TBA
December 26th Arabian Gulf Cup Kuwait   v   TBA Kuwait City, Kuwait
--:-- UTC+3
December 26th Arabian Gulf Cup Kuwait   v   TBA Kuwait City, Kuwait
--:-- UTC+3
December 26th Arabian Gulf Cup   TBA v   Kuwait Kuwait City, Kuwait
--:-- 

Coaching staff edit

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

Coaching history edit

Players edit

Current squad edit

The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round between 16 and 21 November 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 (age 33) 36 0   Al-Arabi
1GK Abdulrahman Kameel (2001-03-08) 8 March 2001 (age 23) 5 0   Al-Kuwait
1GK Bader Al-Saanoun (1996-11-24) 24 November 1996 (age 27) 3 0   Al-Jahra

2DF Fahad Al Hajeri (captain) (1991-11-10) 10 November 1991 (age 32) 62 5   Al-Kuwait
2DF Hamad Al-Qallaf (1999-12-04) 4 December 1999 (age 24) 23 0   Al-Arabi
2DF Khalid El Ebrahim (1992-08-28) 28 August 1992 (age 31) 21 3   Al-Qadsia
2DF Mahdi Dashti (2001-10-26) 26 October 2001 (age 22) 12 0   Al-Salmiya
2DF Ali Abdel Al-Rasoul (1999-01-13) 13 January 1999 (age 25) 1 0   Al-Arabi
2DF Abdullah Al Buloushi (1996-05-08) 8 May 1996 (age 27) 6 1   Al-Arabi

3MF Sultan Al Enezi (1992-09-29) 29 September 1992 (age 31) 39 0   Al-Arabi
3MF Ahmed Al-Dhefiri (1992-01-09) 9 January 1992 (age 32) 37 2   Al-Kuwait
3MF Hamad Al Harbi (1992-07-25) 25 July 1992 (age 31) 27 1   Kazma
3MF Fawaz Ayedh (1997-02-21) 21 February 1997 (age 27) 23 1   Al-Salmiya
3MF Redha Hani (1996-04-22) 22 April 1996 (age 27) 23 1   Al-Kuwait
3MF Abdullah Al Fahed (1997-02-12) 12 February 1997 (age 27) 6 0   Kazma

4FW Faisal Zayid (1991-10-09) 9 October 1991 (age 32) 45 6   Al-Kuwait
4FW Mobarak Al-Faneeni (2000-01-21) 21 January 2000 (age 24) 33 5   Al-Qadsia
4FW Eid Al Rashidi (1999-05-25) 25 May 1999 (age 24) 29 2   Al-Qadsia
4FW Shabaib Al-Khaldi (1998-08-11) 11 August 1998 (age 25) 26 9   Hatta
3MF Ali Khalaf (1995-01-16) 16 January 1995 (age 29) 11 2   Al-Arabi
4FW Ahmad Zanki (1995-12-17) 17 December 1995 (age 28) 9 1   Al-Kuwait
3MF Bader Al-Fadhel (1997-04-22) 22 April 1997 (age 26) 6 3   Al-Arabi
4FW Salman Al-Awadhi (2001-05-21) 21 May 2001 (age 22) 7 0   Al-Arabi

Recent call-ups edit

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

DF Rashed Al-Dosary (2000-07-18) 18 July 2000 (age 23) 11 0   Al-Qadsia v.   Tajikistan, 28 March 2023
DF Mohammed Al-Nassar (1996-05-24) 24 May 1996 (age 27) 3 0   Kazma v.   Tajikistan, 28 March 2023


FW Bader Al-Fadhel (1997-04-22) 22 April 1997 (age 26) 4 1   Al-Arabi v.   Tajikistan, 28 March 2023

Previous squads edit

World Cup squads
Asian Cup squads

Records edit

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

Most appearances edit

 
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 edit

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 edit

FIFA World Cup edit

FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L F A Pld W D L F A
1930 to 1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1966 to 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
  1974 Did not qualify 6 1 1 4 4 8
  1978 12 8 1 3 23 10
  1982 First group stage 21st 3 0 1 2 2 6 9 7 1 1 20 6
  1986 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 8 2
  1990 4 3 0 1 6 3
  1994 6 3 2 1 21 4
  1998 12 6 2 4 17 9
    2002 6 4 1 1 9 3
  2006 12 6 1 5 19 15
  2010 6 1 1 4 8 12
  2014 8 4 2 2 13 10
  2018 Disqualified due to FIFA suspension [20][21] 8 3 1 4 12 10
  2022 Did not qualify 8 4 2 2 19 7
      2026 To be determined 4 1 0 3 5 6
      2030 To be determined
  2034
Total First group stage 1/15 3 0 1 2 2 6 105 53 16 36 184 105

AFC Asian Cup edit

AFC Asian Cup record AFC Asian Cup qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
  1956 Not a AFC member Not a AFC member
  1960
  1964
  1968 Withdrew Withdrew
  1972 Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 4 5 5 2 2 1 6 4
  1976 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 6 3 Qualified by default
  1980 Champions 1st 6 4 1 1 13 6 Qualified as hosts
  1984 Third place 3rd 6 2 2 2 5 4 Qualified as defending champions
  1988 Group stage 7th 4 0 3 1 2 3 4 3 1 0 9 0
  1992 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 4 3
  1996 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 9 7 4 2 2 0 9 5
  2000 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 3 3 4 4 0 0 33 1
  2004 Group stage 10th 3 1 0 2 3 7 6 5 1 0 17 5
        2007 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 3 4
  2011 Group stage 14th 3 0 0 3 1 7 6 2 3 1 6 5
  2015 15th 3 0 0 3 1 6 6 2 3 1 10 7
  2019 Disqualified due to FIFA suspension 8 3 1 4 12 10
  2023 Did not qualify 11 5 2 4 24 13
  2027 To be determined To be determined
Total Best: Champions 10/19 42 15 10 17 47 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 edit

Olympic Games record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
  1900 to   1956 Did not enter
  1960 to   1976 Did not qualify
  1980 Quarter-finals 4 1 2 1 5 4
  1984 to   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 edit

Asian Games record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA
  1951 to   1970 Did not enter
  1974 6th place 5 3 0 2 12 8
  1978 5th place 6 3 1 2 13 8
  1982 Runners-up 6 5 0 1 13 5
  1986 Third place 7 5 2 0 20 3
  1990 7th place 4 1 1 2 3 4
  1994 Third place 6 4 1 1 15 6
  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 edit

West Asian Football Federation Championship record
Year Result Pld W D L GF GA GD
  2000 Did not participate
  2002
  2004
  2007
  2008
  2010 Champions 4 2 2 0 7 5 +2
  2012 Group stage 3 2 0 1 4 4 0
  2014 Fourth place 4 1 1 2 3 5 –2
  2019 Group stage 3 1 1 1 3 3 0
  2023 Qualified
Total 4/9 14 6 4 4 17 17 0

Arabian Gulf Cup edit

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 edit

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

FIFA Arab Cup edit

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

Head-to-head record edit

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

As of 26 March 2024 after match against   Qatar[22]

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

All friendly and international matches have been approved, except for Olympic matches. A-level matches

Kuwait national football team head-to-head records
Opponent
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
  Afghanistan 2 2 0 0 7 2 +5
  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 9 13 28 36 -8
  Iraq 35 8 10 17 36 48 -12
  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 9 3 3 3 12 15 -3
  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 41 18 5 17 56 47 +9
  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
  Uganda 1 0 0 1 0 2 -2
  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
Total 682 285 172 221 1095 764 +331

Honours edit

Continental edit

Regional edit

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

Invitational edit

Notes edit

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

References edit

  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 World Ranking". FIFA. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  3. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 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. ^ "26 لاعبا في قائمة الكويت استعدادا لمواجهتي الهند وأفغانستان". kooora.com (in Arabic). koora. Retrieved 19 November 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.

External links edit

  • Official website – Kuwait Football Association
  • Kuwait at AFC
  • Kuwait at FIFA
  • Official fans' forum site Archived 27 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine
Preceded by Asian Champions
1980 (First title)
Succeeded by