Syria national football team

Syria
Nickname(s)نسور قاسيون, Nusur Qasiun
(The Qasioun Eagles)[1]
AssociationSyrian Football Association (SFA)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationWAFF (West Asia)
UAFA (Arab world)
Head coachJosé Lana
CaptainOmar Al Somah
Most capsMahmoud Al-Mawas (110)
Top scorerFiras Al-Khatib (36)
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeSYR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 84 Steady (11 June 2026)[2]
Highest68 (1 July 2018)
Lowest152 (September 2014, March 2015)
First international
 Lebanon 1–2 Syria 
(Beirut, Lebanon; 26 April 1942)[3]
Biggest win
 Syria 13–0 Muscat and Oman
(Cairo, Egypt; 6 September 1965)
Biggest defeat
 Greece 8–0 Syria 
(Athens, Greece; 25 November 1949)
 Egypt 8–0 Syria 
(Alexandria, Egypt; 16 October 1951)
Asian Cup
Appearances7 (first in 1980)
Best resultRound of 16 (2023)
Arab Cup
Appearances7 (first in 1963)
Best resultRunners-up (1963, 1966, 1988)
WAFF Championship
Appearances8 (first in 2000)
Best resultChampions (2012)
Medal record
WAFF Championship
Gold medal – first place2012 KuwaitTeam
Silver medal – second place2000 JordanTeam
Silver medal – second place2004 IranTeam
Bronze medal – third place2007 JordanTeam
Bronze medal – third place2008 IranTeam
Arab Cup
Silver medal – second place1963 LebanonTeam
Silver medal – second place1966 IraqTeam
Silver medal – second place1988 JordanTeam
Palestine Cup of Nations
Silver medal – second place1973 LibyaTeam
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place1987 LatakiaTeam
Bronze medal – third place1951 AlexandriaTeam
West Asian Games
Silver medal – second place1997 TehranTeam
Silver medal – second place2005 DohaTeam
Bronze medal – third place2002 KuwaitTeam
Arab Games
Gold medal – first place1957 BeirutTeam
Silver medal – second place1953 AlexandriaTeam
Silver medal – second place1997 BeirutTeam
Bronze medal – third place1976 DamascusTeam

The Syria national football team (Arabic: منتخب سوريا لكرة القدم) represents Syria in international football, and is controlled by the Syrian Arab Federation for Football, the governing body for football in Syria.

Nicknamed "the Qasioun Eagles" (Arabic: نسور قاسيون, romanized: nusur qasyun"), Syria has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, but reached the fourth qualification round in 2018. The team has been banned by FIFA from playing at home since December 2010.[4] Internationally, Syria have won the 1957 Arab Games, the 1987 Mediterranean Games, and the 2012 WAFF Championship.

History

1936–1969: The beginnings

The Syrian Football Federation was founded in 1936, 10 years before independence from the French in 1946. It has been affiliated with FIFA since 1937 and has been a member of AFC since 1969.[5][6] In 1939, Syria played its first unofficial matches under the name of Damascus XI with Beirut XI in Beirut, resulting in a 5–4 win.[7] Over the following years, the two teams competed in 16 unofficial matches until 1963, with the Damascus XI winning seven, drawing two, and losing seven.[7]

Syria's first official football match took place on 26 April 1942, against Lebanon, as part of the Coupe Hauteclocque.[8] The game, held at the AUB field in Beirut, ended in a 2–1 victory for "the Qasioun Eagles", in front of 3,000 spectators.[8] The Coupe Hauteclocque, a trophy donated by French diplomat Jean de Hauteclocque in 1939, was intended to be a regular fixture between Lebanon and Syria.[9] Although two matches were initially planned,[9] only the Beirut fixture was played.[8] The cup became a point of contention, as the Syrian Football Association had retained possession of it since 1939.[9] Syria later played two additional friendly matches against Lebanon in 1947, winning 4–1 in Beirut on 4 May,[10] and 1–0 in Aleppo on 18 May.[11]

Syria's took part in their first FIFA World Cup qualifiers in 1950, as one of the first teams in the region to do so.[12] They played their first qualifying game against Turkey in Ankara, which ended in a 7–0 defeat on 20 November 1949.[13] Five days later, on 25 November, Syria lost 8–0 against Greece in Athens.[14]

At the 1951 Mediterranean Games in Alexandria, on 12 October 1951, one of Syria's biggest defeats was recorded against Egypt which ended with a score of 8–0 for the Pharaohs.[15]

Francisc Mészáros, who became the second coach of the Syrian national team in 1954

The first medal for the national team was silver at the 1953 Arab Games, when they were defeated in the final by Egypt (4–0).[16] At the 1957 Arab Games in Beirut, they advanced to the finals after the semi-final defeat of Morocco, in which they defeated Tunisia with goals scored by Shamas and Awadis Kaoulakian 3–1.[17]

In the FIFA World Cup 1958 qualifiers, the Syrian football team was defeated by the Sudan in the first round of the playoffs. Between 1958 and 1961, the team combined with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic national team, although the team's records are attributed only to Egypt by FIFA.[18] Syria reached the finals in the FIFA Arab Cup twice: in 1963 (beaten by Tunisia) and 1966 (beaten by Iraq).[19]

In the 1966 FIFA World Cup qualifiers they were one of two teams from the Asian zone (the other being Israel) to be allocated to the European qualifying zone and were originally placed with Spain and the Republic of Ireland. However, they joined the Asian and African boycott of the 1966 qualifiers, due to the decision of FIFA to allocate just one place between Asia and Africa.[20]

1970s: Successes in Arab competitions

In the 1970s, they regularly participated in the Palestine Cup, which served as a substitute for the Arab Cup. At the 1972 Palestine Cup, they placed fourth when they lost 1–3 to Algeria.[21] At the 1973 Palestine Cup, they advanced from the group stage to the semifinals, where they eliminated Algeria after penalties (0–0, pen. 3–2). In the final of the cup, they clearly lost to Tunisia 0–4.[22]

In the 1974 Kuneitra Cup, "the Qasioun Eagles" entered the knockout phase after the group defeat of Sudan, Libya, Palestine and North Yemen. In the semifinals of the cup, they defeated Tunisia (3–1), but in the final, they lost to Morocco after a penalty shootout.[23]

For the 1974 FIFA World Cup, they finished second in the group in the 1st round of the qualification, behind Iran, insufficient to advance to the next round.[24]

At the 1975 Palestine Cup, they eliminated Libya in the group stage, but lost to Iraq in the semifinals 0: 4 and in the bronze medal match with Sudan 0–1.[25] In 1976, Damascus hosted the Arab Games, whose football tournament was played at the Abbasiyyin Stadium, where the home Syrian team won bronze medals.[26]

In the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification, the "Qasioun Eagles" did not go through the first round, as despite losing one victory over Saudi Arabia (2–0) they lost both matches to Iran, finishing in third place in the group.[27]

1980–1996: Milestones and missed opportunities

The Syrian team made it to the 1980 Olympics thanks to Iran, as the team withdrew due to the American-led boycott of the Olympics.[28] Despite losing 0–3 to Algeria and 0–5 to the GDR, they gained experience from big matches. However, the most valuable result in the tournament was a draw with a strong Spain 0–0.[29]

The Syrian team took part in the three editions of the AFC Asian Cup in the 1980s. In the 1980 AFC Asian Cup, they finished 3rd out of 5 in the group stage, behind North Korea and Iran, ahead of China and Bangladesh.[30]

In the 1984 AFC Asian Cup, they finished 4th out of 5 in the 1st round, ahead of South Korea, behind Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.[31] In the 1988 AFC Asian Cup, they finished 3rd out of 5 still in the 1st round, behind China and Saudi Arabia, ahead of Kuwait and Bahrain.[32] The two Syrian scorers were with one goal each: Walid Nasser and Walid Al-Hel. They were finalists in the FIFA Arab Cup in 1988 (beaten by Iraq).

For the qualifiers of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, they finished last in the group stage behind Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.[33] As for the qualification round of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Syria came very close to a qualification which would have been historic, since it passed the 1st round ahead of Kuwait and North Yemen, beat Bahrain and lost in the final qualifying round to Iraq 1–3 on aggregate, with the only Syrian goal scored by Walid Abu Al-Sel.[34]

Valeriy Yaremchenko, the coach who led Syria to victory at the 1987 Mediterranean Games

One of the greatest successes of "the Qasioun Eagles" in the 1980s was the participation in the finals of the 1987 Mediterranean Games, which took place in Latakia, and the defeat of the France team 2–1.[35][36]

In the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the national team placed second in the first round after losing to Saudi Arabia 4–5 (goal scorers: Mahrous, Jakalan, Al-Nasser and Helou).[37]

In 1992, the Arab Games were held in Syria, which included the Arab Cup In this tournament, the Syrian national team led by Virgil Dridea placed 4th after advancing to the semifinals (losing to Egypt 4–3 on penalties) and losing in the bronze medal match with Kuwait 1–2.[38]

During the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, they led the qualifying group after winning over Taiwan and Oman, but due to draws with Iran (0–0 and 1–1, goal scored by Abdul Latif Helou), they did not advance to the second round.[39]

In the 1st round of the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, the Syrian team beat Uzbekistan (2–1), thanks to goals from Nader Joukhadar and Ali Dib, but they were beaten by Japan (1–2, goal by Nader Joukhadar) and by China (0–3). By finishing 3rd in the group, they had a chance to qualify for the quarterfinals but having a low score compared to the other two countries (Iraq and South Korea), the team finished as the worst 3rd, again missed the knockout phase.

1996–2007: Hope and disappointment

Chadi Cheikh Merai in 1997

At the 1997 Arab Games in Beirut, they reached the final, in which Jordan defeated them 0–1.[40]

One of Syria's biggest victories was recorded in Tehran on 4 June 1997, against the Maldives, a match that ended with a final score of 12–0 for the Syrians. 5 days later it faces again the Maldives, still in Tehran, which ends with the same score of 12–0. These two matches were played as a part of the qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where it was eliminated in the first preliminary round, ahead of Iran.[41]

The Syrian team was twice finalist in 2000 and 2004 of a regional competition, the West Asian Football Championship, beaten each time by Iran; as they reached the semi-finals of the 2002 WAFF Championship held at home but lost to Jordan on a golden goal scored in the last minutes of extra time (1–2), before losing to Iran on penalties during the match for the 3rd place (2–2, 2–4).

Syria v Iran, friendly match (2006)

During the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification, Syria were overtaken by Oman at 1st, while being ahead of the Philippines and Laos.[42]

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification, Syria did not advance to the third stage after uncertain match performances and losses with Bahrain (1–2) and Kyrgyzstan (0–1).[43]

Syria v India, 2007 Nehru Cup

During this period, the national team participated in the 2007 Nehru Cup, where after the first victory over Bangladesh (2–0) they defeated Kyrgyzstan (4–1), India (3–2) and Cambodia (5–1) and advanced to the finals.[44] The top scorers were famous Syrian stars Zyad Chaabo (5 goals) and Maher Al-Sayed (4 goals). But the cup final for the team did not turn out well, because they lost to India 0–1.[45][46]

2007–2012: Steady progress and first major title

Fajr Ibrahim led Syria twice to the semifinals of the West Asian Cup.

In 2007, Syria advanced to the 2007 WAFF Championship under the leadership of coach Fajr Ibrahim, where they after victories over Lebanon and Jordan (both 1–0), lost in the semifinals to Iraq 0–3.[47]

A year later, "the Qasioun Eagles" took part in the 2008 WAFF Championship, where after a 2–1 victory over Oman and a draw with Jordan, they advanced to the semifinals, where they lost to Iran (0–2).[48]

At the 2009 Nehru Cup, Syria sovereignly won the group stage, defeating Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon and, in a close match, India (1–0). In the final of the cup, they encountered India, with which they lost 1–2 on penalties (the only Syrian scorer was Ali Diab).[49]

In the qualifications for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Syria beat Afghanistan in the 1st round, then Indonesia in the 2nd round, but narrowly failed in the 3rd round to qualify for the 4th round, due to an unfavorable goal average, behind UAE and Iran, but ahead of Kuwait.[50]

Syrian line-up against Japan at the 2011 Asian Cup

The Syrian team qualified for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar after a long absence from it since 1996, where it ascended to the championship without any loss in the qualifiers. They were eliminated from the group stage again after losing to Jordan and Japan and defeating Saudi Arabia.[51] Shortly afterwards, they were disqualified from the 2014 FIFA World Cup due to the use of an ineligible player.[52]

In December 2012, Syria beat Iraq in the final of 2012 WAFF Championship to collect its first major trophy and Ahmad Al Saleh became the scorer of the historic winning goal (1–0).[53] Official Syrian television interrupted its broadcasts to announce the victory and show the presentation of the cup live.[54]

2013–2016: Away game challenges

In 2013, the Syrian team withdrew from the 2014 WAFF Championship due to the ongoing Syrian Civil War. In the following years, the national team faced challenges due to being unable to play in their home stadiums.[55]

Syria national football team in Tehran: 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification

Syria missed the 2015 AFC Asian Cup after failing to qualify and occupying third place in Group A which included Jordan, Singapore and Oman.[56] In 2016, Syria took part in the 2016 King's Cup in Bangkok under national team captain Mosab Balhous and head coach Ayman Hakeem, where they lost in the semifinals after a penalty shootout with Thailand and defeated the United Arab Emirates 1–0 in third place match.[57]

2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Approaching success

Ever since the Syrian civil war broke out in the country, Syria have been banned from playing home games in their own country and in fact were one day away from being thrown out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup only for Malaysia to swoop in at the last minute and offer to host all of Syria's home games.[58][59][60]

After finishing in second place in Group E during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, behind Japan, but ahead of Singapore, Afghanistan and Cambodia. Syria was among the top 4 (2nd) and obtained the right to play in the 3rd round, in addition to being qualified for the next 2019 AFC Asian Cup.[61]

2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Syria v Iran

They were drawn into group A, along with Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan, China and Qatar. On 5 September 2017, Syria qualified for the first time in their history for the play-offs of a 2018 FIFA World Cup by finishing 3rd in their group with 13 points, level on points with Uzbekistan, but ahead in the standings thanks to better goal difference, following of their draw gleaned in stoppage time on the lawn of the Iran (2–2) in the last match.[62]

This was the best performance by "the Qasioun Eagles" to date in a World Cup qualifying phase.[63] The prospect of a historic qualification for a final phase of the FIFA World Cup has given rise to a momentary halt to the conflict which has ravaged the country for six years, as well as the installation of giant screens by the authorities in the main public squares of major cities to follow the decisive match against Iran.[64][65]

On 5 October 2017 in Malacca, Syria managed to draw (1–1) against Australia thanks to a converted penalty in the 85th minute by Omar Al Somah, who had already equalized in stoppage time in the last pool match against Iran, responding to the opening goal in the first half of Robbie Kruse.[66]

In the return match played five days later in Sydney, the Syrians opened the scoring in the 6th minute of play, once again thanks to Al Somah, but Tim Cahill tied the two teams seven minutes after the opening goal.

The two teams continued to neutralize each other and it was in extra time that Australia took a decisive advantage in the 109th minute of play thanks to a new goal from Cahill, dashing Syria's last hopes of participating in a FIFA World Cup. Reduced to 10 at the start of extra time, Syria nevertheless bravely tried their luck, narrowly missing the equalizer and qualification for the Intercontinental play-off during stoppage time in the 2nd half of extra time on a free kick from the essential Al Somah who found the post.[67]

2019 AFC Asian Cup: A missed opportunity

At the 2019 AFC Asian Cup (Group B) in the United Arab Emirates, Syria under the leadership of then-head coach Bernd Stange, the national team drew 0–0 with Palestine in the first match of the tournament. Syria failed to advance from the group stage after losing to Australia (2–3) and Jordan (0–2).[68][69]

2019 Asia Cup, Syria v Palestine

The Syrian coach Bernd Stange was sacked after this tournament, and replaced with former manager Fajr Ibrahim.[70] The team's game did not improve much after this intervention as they suffered an agonizing loss to Australia after an injury time goal by Tom Rogic in the second half, confirming Syria's elimination.[71]

2019–2024: Qualification setbacks

In qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which began in the fall of 2019, they were placed second in Group A of the 2nd round after the draw.[72] In the first matches of the group, "the Qasioun Eagles" comfortably won first over the Philippines (5–2), Maldives (2–1) and Guam (4–0).[73] Subsequently, in an important match, they defeated China 2–1 after Osama Omari's goal and Zhang Linpeng's own goal.[74] In the next match, the national team defeated the Philippines 1–0 with a decisive goal by midfielder Ward Al Salama.[75] On 11 March 2020, Tunisian Nabil Maâloul was appointed head coach of Syria.[76]

Nabil Maâloul, Syria's head coach from 2020 to 2021

The last matches in the group were played in 2021 due to COVID-19 in Asia, when they first defeated the Maldives (4–0) and Guam (3–0), confirming their 1st place, advanced to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup and also to the third stage of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[73] With the 1st place assured, Syria then lost to China 1–3 in the final game, which was irrelevant to the final standing.[73]

Omar Khribin, 2017 Asian Footballer of the Year and one of the key players of the national team

Nabil Maâloul resigned on 15 June 2021, due to disagreements with the leadership of the football federation. Nizar Mahrous replaced him for the next qualification phase.[77] The team started this part of the qualification with unconvincing results with Iran (0–1), UAE (1–1) and South Korea (1–2), with both Syrian goals scored by Omar Khribin and Mahmoud Al Baher.[78] After a humiliating defeat in the Levantine derby with Lebanon (2–3, the scorers were Khrbin and Somah), a draw with Iraq (1–1 only goal was scored by Somah) and a high defeat with Iran (0–3), the head coach Mahrous was fired.[78]

At the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, under the leadership of new coach Valeriu Tița, they showed up in good form.[79] They played the first match in Group B against the UAE, which they lost 1–2.[80] In the next match, Syria played well despite the previous results, as Oliver Kass Kawo and Mouhamad Anez scored 2–0 over the big favorite from Tunisia.[81][82] In their last group match, "the Qasioun Eagles" lost to Mauritania 1–2 when the equalizing goal was scored by Mahmoud Al Baher in the 52nd minute. They took the 3rd place in the group and the 9th place overall.[83]

In the last qualifying matches, they lost first to the UAE 0–2 then to South Korea with the same score, and due to these results, Tița was dismissed.[84] Ghassan Maatouk was appointed as the new national head coach on 9 February 2022, leading the team to victory in the derby with Lebanon (3–0) and a draw with Iraq (1–1) in the last two matches. As a result, the Syrian team finished 5th in Group A.[85]

2023 AFC Asian Cup: First knockout stage

Syria qualified for their seventh AFC Asian Cup in 2023, and during this tournament, they made the knockout stage for the first time in their history by ranking as one of the best ranked third place team,[86] after being drawn into Group B alongside Australia, India and Uzbekistan.[87] In the round of 16, Syria lost against Iran in the penalty shootouts following a 1–1 draw after extra time, despite their numerical superiority at the start of injury time following a 2nd yellow card for Mehdi Taremi.[88]

2024: Further challenges

Following two consecutive losses against North Korea and Japan in the last two matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying second round, Syria finished third in their group to miss another World Cup participation and drop to compete in the AFC Asian Cup qualifying third round.[89]

2024–present: New beginnings

Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the Syrian Football Association announced a change in the national team's home kit and logo colors, shifting from red to green. The federation stated that the decision symbolized a historic transformation, marking the end of nepotism, favoritism, and corruption in Syrian football. Additionally, the team adopted a new all-green home kit, manufactured by Jako.[90][91][92]

On 18 January 2025, the Syrian Football Association announced to FIFA that it would make a series of changes when appearing in football matches. Among these changes, this included a new anthem, "Fī Sabīli al-Majd" ('In Pursuit of Glory') by the poet Omar Abu Risha, serving as a temporary national anthem until a permanent resolution regarding the official anthem could be determined.[93] Later that year, on 14 October, they qualified for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup after a 3–0 away victory over Myanmar, finishing top of their group in the third round of the qualifiers.[94]

Stadiums

Home stadiums list
Image Stadium Capacity Location Last match
Aleppo International Stadium 53,200 Aleppo v   Vietnam
(18 November 2009; 2011 Asian Cup Q)
Abbasiyyin Stadium 30,000 Damascus v   Iraq
(22 December 2010; Friendly)
Al-Hamadaniah Stadium 15,000 Aleppo v   South Korea
(22 February 2006; 2007 Asian Cup Q)
Al-Jalaa Stadium 10,000 Damascus v   Palestine
(26 March 2004; Friendly)

Rivalries

Syria's common rivals are mostly from the Levant, which are Lebanon and Jordan.[95]

Syria vs. Lebanon

Statistics vs.  Lebanon[96]
Played1 Wins2 Draws Losses GF GA
2515555028

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

Due to historical reasons, matches against Lebanon have been frequently followed and seen by Syrians as the most important rival.[97] Syria played until today 25 games against Lebanon. The first match took place on 26 April 1942 in a friendly match against the Cedars in Beirut, when Lebanon and Syria were French colonies.[98] In 1947 Syria played two more friendlies against Lebanon: 4–1 victory in Beirut on 4 May,[99] and 1–0 victory in Aleppo on 18 May.[100] It was at this time that the matches were the most regular. Syria dominates the series with 15 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses.

Syria vs. Jordan

Statistics vs.  Jordan[96]
Played1 Wins2 Draws Losses GF GA
431414154744

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

Syria played their first official match against Jordan on 1 August 1953 in Alexandria, Egypt, as part of the 1953 Arab Games, winning 3–1. In later years, the derby gained mutual popularity mainly due to historical, political, and geographical factors.[101]

Team image

Nickname

The Syrian national team is known by supporters and the media as Nosour Qasioun, meaning The Eagles of Qasioun in reference to the Mount Qasioun, which stretch over the capital of Syria, Damascus.[1]

Kits

Syrian fans before the match with Palestine

The team color is always based on the colors of the Flag of Syria. During the period of Ba'athist Syria, the team's home color was red. After the Fall of the Assad regime, the team's home color is changed to green. The team's away color is always white.

Kit supplier Period Notes
Italy Diadora 2005–2010
Germany Adidas 2011–2014
Italy Lotto 2015–2017
Germany Jako 2018–2020
Germany Uhlsport 2021–2022
Germany Jako 2022–

Results and fixtures

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

2025

4 September 2025 (2025-09-04) Friendly United Arab Emirates  3–1  Syria Dubai, United Arab Emirates
19:30 UTC+4
  • Ivković 62'
  • Al-Ghassani 78' (pen.)
  • Gastón Suárez 86'
 Report
  • Al Salkhadi 36'
 Stadium: Zabeel Stadium
8 September 2025 (2025-09-08) Friendly Syria  2–2  Kuwait Doha, Qatar
  • Shamoun 24'
  • Faqa 80'
 Report
  • Dashti 65'
  • Daham 74'
 Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
9 October 2025 (2025-10-09) 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Syria  5–1  Myanmar Al Hofuf, Saudi Arabia[note 1]
  • Khribin 5', 19', 71'
  • Al Salkhadi 29'
  • Al Hallaq 88'
 Report
Report (AFC)
  • Kyaw 90+1'
 Stadium: Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium
Attendance: 198
Referee: Mohammad Mofeed (Jordan)
14 October 2025 (2025-10-14) 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Myanmar  0–3  Syria Yangon, Myanmar
Report
Report (AFC)
  • Sabbag 80', 85'
  • Al Salkhadi 87'
 Stadium: Thuwunna Stadium
Attendance: 3,514
Referee: Tuan Yaasin Hanafiah (Malaysia)
18 November 2025 (2025-11-18) 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Pakistan  0–5  Syria Islamabad, Pakistan
14:00 UTC+5 Report
Report (AFC)
  • Al Hallaq 34', 47'
  • Samia 79', 90+4'
  • Al Dali 90'
 Stadium: Jinnah Sports Stadium
Attendance: 7,124
Referee: Virendha Rai (Bhutan)
25 November 2025 (2025-11-25) 2025 FIFA Arab Cup qualifiers Syria  2–0  South Sudan Doha, Qatar
19:00 UTC+3
  • Al Hallaq 52'
  • Al Mawas 59'
 Report Stadium: Grand Hamad Stadium
Referee: Amin Mohamed Omar (Egypt)
1 December 2025 (2025-12-01) 2025 FIFA Arab Cup Tunisia  0–1  Syria Al Rayyan, Qatar
16:00 UTC+3 Report
  • Khribin 48'
 Stadium: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium
Attendance: 26,966
Referee: Juan Gabriel Calderón (Costa Rica)
4 December 2025 (2025-12-04) 2025 FIFA Arab Cup Syria  1–1  Qatar Al Rayyan, Qatar
20:00 UTC+3
  • Khribin 90'
 Report
  • Alaaeldin 77'
 Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium
Attendance: 42,467
Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
7 December 2025 (2025-12-07) 2025 FIFA Arab Cup Syria  0–0  Palestine Al Rayyan, Qatar
20:00 UTC+3 Report Stadium: Education City Stadium
Attendance: 39,571
Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)
11 December 2025 (2025-12-11) 2025 FIFA Arab Cup Quarter-finals Morocco  1–0  Syria Al Rayyan, Qatar
17:30 UTC+3
  • Azaro 79'
  • Moufid Red card 90+1'
 Report Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium
Attendance: 39,167
Referee: Cristián Garay (Chile)

2026

31 March 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification Syria  5–1  Afghanistan Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
18:15 UTC+3
  • Al Salkhadi 5'
  • Al Hallaq 54'
  • Al Mustafa 58', 82'
  • Al Aswad 90+1'
 Report
Report (AFC)
  • Panahi 23'
 Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium
Attendance: 562
Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan)
5 June Friendly Belarus  4–1  Syria Minsk, Belarus
19:00 UTC+3
  • Morozov 3'
  • Kontsevoy 11'
  • Shumansky 48'
  • Yablonsly 78'
 Report
  • Al-Mawas 88' (pen.)
 Stadium: National Football Stadium
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev (Azerbaijan)
9 June Friendly Syria  Cancelled  Bahrain Antalya, Turkey
--:-- UTC+3 Stadium: Gloria Sports Arena

2027

9 January 2027 Asian Cup GS Syria  v  Kyrgyzstan Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
--:--  Stadium: King Fahd Sports City Stadium
14 January 2027 Asian Cup GS China  v  Syria Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
--:--  Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium
18 January 2027 Asian Cup GS Iran  v  Syria Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
--:--  Stadium: King Fahd Sports City Stadium

Coaching staff

Current technical staff

As of August 2024
Position Name
Head coach Spain José Lana
Assistant coach Egypt Khaled Ghoneim
Goalkeeping coach Spain Nando Juárez
Team manager
Fitness coach

Coaching history

Name Nat Period Matches Wins Draws Losses Honours
Vinzenz Dittrich Austria 1951
Francisc Mészáros Hungary 1954
József Albert Hungary 1956–1959 1957 Arab Games winners[102]
Miklós Vadas Hungary 1960–1965
Cornel Drăgușin[103] Romania 1965–1966
Ezzat Abdel-Wahab United Arab Republic 1969
Mehana Jabour Syria 1971
Khalil Nadaf Syria 1971–1972
Mohammed Azzam Syria 1972
Khalil Nadaf Syria 1972–1973
Mousa Shamas Syria 1973–1974
Lofti Kerkuli Syria 1974
Petre Rădulescu[104] Romania 1974–1975
Vladimir Bolotov Soviet Union 1975
Mohamed Azzam Syria 1976–1977
Lofti Kerkuli Syria 1977
Zaki Natour Syria 1978
Horst Zokoll East Germany 1978–1979
Mustafa Hasanagić Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1979
Mousa Shamas Syria 1980
Joseph Chadli[105] Syria 1980
Bill Asprey[106] England 1980–1982
Karl Trautmann East Germany 1983–1984
Viktor Vasilyev Soviet Union 1984
Avedis Kavlakian Syria 1984–1985
Valeriy Yaremchenko Soviet Union 1985–1987 1987 Mediterranean Games winners
Anatoliy Azarenkov Soviet Union
Ukraine		 1987–1992
Virgil Dridea[107] Romania 1992–1993
Marwan Khouri Syria 1994–1995
Yuri Kurnenin Belarus 1995–1997
Anouar Abdul Kader Syria 1997
Kevork Mardikian Syria 1997
Angel Stankov Bulgaria 1997
Mircea Rădulescu Romania 1997–1998
Joel Camargo Brazil 1998–1999
Mousa Shamas Syria March – September 1999
Dragoslav Popović Federal Republic of Yugoslavia September 1999 – February 2000
Dragoslav Sridović Federal Republic of Yugoslavia March – April 2000
Božidar Vukotić Federal Republic of Yugoslavia March – October 2001
Jalal Talebi Iran November 2001 – September 2002 10 9 0 1
Janusz Wójcik Poland March – August 2003
Božidar Vukotić Serbia and Montenegro September – November 2003
Ahmed Rifaat Egypt December 2003 – November 2004
Nizar Mahrous Syria November 2004 – 2005
Miloslav Radenović

Serbia

 2005 – August 2006
Fajr Ibrahim Syria 5 August 2006 – February 2008 24 13 5 6
Mohammad Kwid Syria 10 May – 20 August 2008 8 4 0 4
Fajr Ibrahim Syria 13 November 2008 – 13 September 2010 28 13 9 6
Ayman Hakeem (Interim) Syria 14 September – 20 December 2010 5 2 1 2
Ratomir Dujković Serbia 28 October – 8 December 2010 1 1 0 0
Valeriu Tiţa Romania 21 December 2010 – 9 February 2011 6 1 0 5
Claude Le Roy France 16 April – 4 May 2011 0 0 0 0
Nizar Mahrous Syria 22 May – 18 August 2011 7 5 2 0
Marwan Khoury Syria 7 July – 30 August 2012 4 1 1 2
Hussam Al Sayed Syria 21 October 2012 – 10 April 2013 8 2 3 3 2012 WAFF Championship winners
Anas Makhlouf Syria 13 April – 23 October 2013 3 0 1 2
Hussam Al Sayed (Interim) Syria 9 – 20 November 2013 3 1 0 2
Ahmad Al Shaar Syria 13 February – 5 March 2014 1 0 0 1
Muhannad Al Fakeer Syria 18 September 2014 – 5 January 2015 2 2 0 0
Fajr Ibrahim Syria 6 January 2015 – 29 March 2016 14 10 1 3
Ayman Hakeem Syria 9 May 2016 – 20 November 2017 21 6 11 4
Bernd Stange Germany 31 January 2018 – 10 January 2019 11 3 5 3
Fajr Ibrahim Syria 10 January – 31 December 2019 17 7 3 7
Nabil Maâloul Tunisia 11 March 2020 – 15 June 2021 7 3 0 4
Nizar Mahrous Syria 7 July – 16 November 2021 6 0 2 4
Valeriu Tiţa Romania 18 November 2021 – 1 February 2022 5 1 0 4
Ghassan Maatouk Syria 9 February – 1 June 2022 3 2 1 0
Hussam Al Sayed Syria 23 August 2022 – 1 February 2023 6 0 0 6
Héctor Cúper Argentina 2 February 2023 – 11 June 2024 18 5 6 7
José Lana Spain 22 August 2024 – 19 11 3 5

Source:[108]

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the friendly matches against Belarus and Bahrain, on 5 and 9 June 2026, respectively.

Information correct as of 5 June 2026, after the match against Belarus.
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Ahmad Madania (1990-01-01) 1 January 1990 32 0 Syrian Football Association Homs Al Fidaa
1GK Shaher Al Shaker (1993-04-01) 1 April 1993 8 0 Syrian Football Association Al-Ittihad
1GK Maksim Sarraf (2005-03-15) 15 March 2005 0 0 Syrian Football Association Al-Karamah
2DF Omar Midani (1994-01-26) 26 January 1994 71 1 Kuwait Football Association Al-Salmiya
2DF Khaled Kourdoghli (1997-01-31) 31 January 1997 40 0 Iraq Football Association Duhok
2DF Abdullah Al Shami (1994-03-02) 2 March 1994 23 0 Kuwait Football Association Al-Yarmouk
2DF Abdul Rahman Weiss (1998-06-14) 14 June 1998 23 0 Hellenic Football Federation Iraklis
2DF Abdulrazzak Al-Mohammad (1995-01-16) 16 January 1995 18 0 Syrian Football Association Al-Ittihad
2DF Ahmad Faqa (2003-01-10) 10 January 2003 16 2 Swedish Football Association AIK
2DF Zakaria Hannan (1997-08-21) 21 August 1997 15 0 Syrian Football Association Al-Ittihad
2DF Ziad Ghanoum (2001-06-02) 2 June 2001 1 0 Swedish Football Association FC Stockholm
3MF Mohammed Osman (1994-01-01) 1 January 1994 32 2 Football Association of Thailand Lamphun Warriors
3MF Ahmed Ashkar (1996-12-12) 12 December 1996 28 1 Syrian Football Association Al-Ittihad
3MF Elmar Abraham (1999-03-01) 1 March 1999 21 0 Swedish Football Association IFK Skövde
3MF Simon Amin (1997-11-13) 13 November 1997 13 0 Iraq Football Association Al-Mosul
3MF Mohamad Al Sheikh (2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 1 0 Swiss Football Association FC Malcantone
4FW Mahmoud Al-Mawas (1993-01-01) 1 January 1993 110 18 Iraq Football Association Duhok
4FW Alaa Al Dali (1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 27 5 Iraq Football Association Al-Mosul
4FW Ammar Ramadan (2001-01-05) 5 January 2001 23 0 Slovak Football Association Dunajská Streda
4FW Mahmoud Al Aswad (2003-09-14) 14 September 2003 21 2 Kuwait Football Association Al-Salmiya
4FW Pablo Sabbag (1997-06-11) 11 June 1997 11 4 Libyan Football Federation Al-Ahli
4FW Anas Dahan (2006-01-31) 31 January 2006 6 0 Syrian Football Association Al-Ittihad
4FW Mohammad Al Mustafa (2005-01-20) 20 January 2005 2 2 Syrian Football Association Al-Hurriya

Recent call-ups

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

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Elias Hadaya (1998-08-21) 21 August 1998 9 0 Norway Sandefjord 2025 FIFA Arab Cup
GK Talal Al Hussain (1995-11-29) 29 November 1995 0 0 Syria Al-Fotuwa v.  Kuwait, 8 September 2025
DF Fares Arnaout (1997-01-31) 31 January 1997 11 0 Syria Homs Al Fidaa v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
DF Almiqdad Ahmad (2004-08-01) 1 August 2004 1 0 Syria Homs Al Fidaa v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
DF Khaled Al Hajji (2005-05-22) 22 May 2005 1 0 Syria Al-Karamah v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
DF Ibrahim Al Khalil (2000-01-01) 1 January 2000 0 0 Syria Homs Al Fidaa v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
DF Haitham Al Louz (2001-01-15) 15 January 2001 0 0 Syria Al-Taliya v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
DF Alan Aussi (2001-06-30) 30 June 2001 3 0 Luxembourg F91 Dudelange 2025 FIFA Arab Cup
DF Adham Ghandour (2000-02-01) 1 February 2000 0 0 Syria Al-Karamah v.  Pakistan, 18 November 2025
DF Aiham Ousou (2000-01-09) 9 January 2000 12 0 Belgium Charleroi v.  Myanmar, 14 October 2025
DF Diaa Al-Haq Mohammad (1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 2 0 Syria Al-Wahda v.  Kuwait, 8 September 2025
MF Mahmoud Nayef (2004-01-03) 3 January 2004 7 0 Syria Al-Karamah v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
MF Yahya Karak (2002-06-30) 30 June 2002 1 0 Syria Al-Fotuwa v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
MF Mohammad Khoja (1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 1 0 Syria Jableh v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
MF Mouhamad Anez (1995-05-14) 14 May 1995 40 1 Iraq Diyala 2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF Hasan Dahan (2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 5 0 Syria Al-Ittihad 2025 FIFA Arab Cup
MF Thaer Krouma (1990-02-02) 2 February 1990 46 1 Syria Al-Karamah v.  Pakistan, 18 November 2025
MF Koran Khello (1997-07-05) 5 July 1997 1 0 Syria Al-Wahda v.  Pakistan, 18 November 2025
MF Ahmad Al Dali (2002-03-21) 21 March 2002 10 0 Kuwait Al-Tadamon v.  Myanmar, 14 October 2025
MF Mustafa Jneid (2000-01-11) 11 January 2000 9 0 Syria Al-Wahda v.  Myanmar, 14 October 2025
MF Malek Janeer (2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 0 0 United Arab Emirates Al-Wasl v.  United Arab Emirates, 4 September 2025INJ
FW Omar Khribin (1994-01-15) 15 January 1994 70 31 United Arab Emirates Al Wahda v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026WD
FW Mohammad Al Hallaq (1999-11-26) 26 November 1999 30 6 United Arab Emirates Dibba Al-Hisn v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
FW Mohammad Alsalkhadi (2001-07-29) 29 July 2001 15 4 Saudi Arabia Damac v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
FW Homam Mahmoud (2006-04-08) 8 April 2006 1 0 Kuwait Al-Fahaheel v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
FW Zeid Gharir (1998-01-10) 10 January 1998 0 0 Syria Al-Wahda v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
FW Mohammad Saraqbi (2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 0 0 Syria Al-Karamah v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026
FW Yassin Samia (1998-02-22) 22 February 1998 12 3 Iraq Al-Minaa 2025 FIFA Arab Cup
FW Antonio Yakoub (2002-06-12) 12 June 2002 7 0 Sweden Örebro SK 2025 FIFA Arab Cup
FW Noah Shamoun (2002-12-08) 8 December 2002 8 1 Sweden Värnamo v.  Myanmar, 9 October 2025INJ
FW Omar Al Somah (captain) (1989-03-23) 23 March 1989 45 23 Unattached v.  Kuwait, 8 September 2025
FW Mardik Mardikian (1992-03-14) 14 March 1992 46 8 Syria Homs Al Fidaa v.  United Arab Emirates, 4 September 2025

SUS Player suspended.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
RET Retired from the national team.
WD Player withdrew from the squad for non-injury related reasons.
PRE Player was named in preliminary squad.

Previous squads

AFC Asian Cup
  • 1980 Asian Cup squad
  • 1984 Asian Cup squad
  • 1988 Asian Cup squad
  • 1996 Asian Cup squad
  • 2011 Asian Cup squad
  • 2019 Asian Cup squad
  • 2023 Asian Cup squad
Olympic Games
  • 1980 Olympics squad

Player records

As of 06 June 2026[109]
Players in bold are still active with Syria.

Most appearances

Maher Al-Sayed is Syria's joint most-capped player with 109 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Mahmoud Al-Mawas 110 18 2012–present
2 Maher Al-Sayed 109 29 1999–2013
3 Ali Diab 97 4 2004–2013
4 Mosab Balhous 86 0 2006–2016
5 Raja Rafe 84 32 2002–2015
6 Tarek Jabban 83 5 1996–2007
7 Ibrahim Alma 80 0 2012–present
8 Moayad Ajan 76 3 2012–present
Nizar Mahrous 76 12 1985–1993
10 George Khouri 74 8 1982–1989

Top goalscorers

Firas Al-Khatib is Syria's all-time record goalscorer with 36 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Firas Al-Khatib 36 72 0.5 2001–2019
2 Raja Rafe 32 84 0.38 2006–2016
3 Omar Khribin 31 68 0.44 2012–present
4 Maher Al-Sayed 29 109 0.27 1999–2013
5 Said Bayazid 24 24 1 1997–2001
6 Omar Al Somah 23 44 0.52 2012–present
7 Zyad Chaabo 22 49 0.45 2001–2010
8 Mahmoud Al-Mawas 18 110 0.16 2012–present
9 Mohamed Al-Zeno 15 48 0.31 2004–2011
10 Avedis Kavlakian 14 — — 1953–1966

Competitive record

Syrian national team before 2019 AFC Asian Cup match against Australia

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1938 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Brazil 1950 Withdrew 1 0 0 1 0 7
Switzerland 1954 Did not enter Did not enter
Sweden 1958 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 1 2
Chile 1962 Withdrew Withdrew
England 1966
Mexico 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 6 3 1 2 6 6
Argentina 1978 Withdrew 4 1 0 3 2 6
Spain 1982 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 2 7
Mexico 1986 8 4 3 1 8 4
Italy 1990 4 2 1 1 7 5
United States 1994 6 3 3 0 14 4
France 1998 6 3 1 2 30 5
South Korea Japan 2002 6 4 1 1 40 6
Germany 2006 6 2 2 2 7 7
South Africa 2010 10 6 2 2 23 10
Brazil 2014 Disqualified 2 0 0 2 0 6
Russia 2018 Did not qualify 20 9 5 6 37 22
Qatar 2022 18 8 3 7 31 23
Canada Mexico United States 2026 6 2 1 3 9 12
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/20 – – – – – – 109 47 24 38 217 132
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

AFC Asian Cup

Syria during the 2023 Asian Cup match against Australia
AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956Not an AFC member Not an AFC member
South Korea 1960
Israel 1964
Iran 1968
Thailand 1972Did not qualify 302145
Iran 1976Withdrew Withdrew
Kuwait 1980Group stage421132 321020
Singapore 1984411235 530298
Qatar 1988420225 431082
Japan 1992Did not qualify 210134
United Arab Emirates 1996Group stage310236 430162
Lebanon 2000Did not qualify 6411113
China 2004 62131610
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 6222106
Qatar 2011Group stage310245 6420102
Australia 2015Did not qualify 611477
United Arab Emirates 2019Group stage301225 86022611
Qatar 2023Round of 16412122 8701227
Saudi Arabia 2027Qualified 128133014
TotalRound of 162585121930 7946122116481
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
AFC Asian Cup history
YearRoundScoreResult
1980
Round 1Syria  0–0  IranDraw
Round 1Syria  1–0  BangladeshWin
Round 1Syria  1–2  North KoreaLoss
Round 1Syria  1–0  ChinaWin
1984
Round 1Syria  1–1  QatarDraw
Round 1Syria  0–1  Saudi ArabiaLoss
Round 1Syria  1–0  South KoreaWin
Round 1Syria  1–3  KuwaitLoss
1988
Round 1Syria  0–2  Saudi ArabiaLoss
Round 1Syria  0–3  ChinaLoss
Round 1Syria  1–0  KuwaitWin
Round 1Syria  1–0  BahrainWin
1996
Round 1Syria  1–2  JapanLoss
Round 1Syria  0–3  ChinaLoss
Round 1Syria  2–1  UzbekistanWin
2011
Round 1Syria  2–1  Saudi ArabiaWin
Round 1Syria  1–2  JapanLoss
Round 1Syria  1–2  JordanLoss
2019
Round 1Syria  0–0  PalestineDraw
Round 1Syria  0–2  JordanLoss
Round 1Syria  2–3  AustraliaLoss
2023
Round 1Syria  0–0  UzbekistanDraw
Round 1Syria  0–1  AustraliaLoss
Round 1Syria  1–0  IndiaWin
Round of 16Syria  1–1 (3–5 p)  IranDraw

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record Olympic Games qualification record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
France 1900 to 1968 MexicoDid not enter
West Germany 1972Did not qualify201101
Canada 1976Did not enter
Soviet Union 1980Round 1301208420231
United States 1984Did not qualify6213610
South Korea 1988200205
Spain 1992 to present See Syria national under-23 team See Syria national under-23 team
Total0 Titles30120814428917
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

WAFF Championship

Balhous (C)
Al Salih
Al Masri
Jwayed
Ajan
Mobayed
Midani
Al Mawas
Jafal
Al Douni
Al Soma
2012 WAFF Championship Final starting lineup on 20 December 2012, in Kuwait City (Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium)
WAFF Championship record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
Jordan 2000Runners-up521252
Syria 2002Fourth place411256
Iran 2004Runners-up4112613
Jordan 2007Semi-finals320123
Iran 2008Semi-finals311123
Jordan 2010Group stage201123
Kuwait 2012Champions422053
Qatar 2014Withdrew
Iraq 2019Group stage402257
Oman 2026Qualified
Total1 Title2999113240
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

FIFA Arab Cup

FIFA Arab Cup record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
Lebanon 1963Runners-up430194
Kuwait 1964Did not enter
Iraq 1966Runners-up531194
Saudi Arabia 1985Did not enter
Jordan 1988Runners-up622255
Syria 1992Fourth place403123
Qatar 1998Group stage200216
Kuwait 2002Group stage420286
Saudi Arabia 2012Did not enter
Qatar 2021Group stage310244
Qatar 2025Quarter-finals412122
Qatar 2029To be determined
Qatar 2033
Total0 Titles32128124034
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Palestine Cup of Nations

Palestine Cup of Nations record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
Iraq 1972Fourth place64021110
Libya 1973Runners-up63121611
Tunisia 1975Fourth place410338
Total0 Titles168173029

Arab Games

Arab Games record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
Egypt 1953Runners-up311135
Lebanon 1957Champions5221126
Morocco 1961Did not enter
Egypt 1965Group stage4202208
Syria 1976Third place631264
Morocco 1985Group stage200204
Syria 1992See 1992 Arab Cup
Lebanon 1997Runners-up540195
Jordan 1999Group stage404055
Egypt 2007Did not enter
Qatar 2011Withdrew
Algeria 2023 to presentSee Syria national under-23 team
Total1 Title331211105740
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Mediterranean Games

Mediterranean Games record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
Egypt 1951Third place2002012
Spain 1955Fourth place3003010
Lebanon 1959Did not enter
Italy 1963Group stage3003110
Tunisia 1967Did not enter
Turkey 1971Group stage300314
Algeria1975Did not enter
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1979
Morocco 1983Group stage200202
Syria 1987Champions5410133
Italy 1991 to present See Syria national under-20 team
Total1 Title1841131541

Asian Games

Asian Games record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
India 1951Did not enter
Philippines 1954
Japan 1958
Indonesia 1962
Thailand 1966
Thailand 1970
Iran1974
Thailand 1978
India 1982Group stage302135
South Korea 1986Did not enter
China 1990
Japan 1994
Thailand 1998
South Korea 2002 to present See Syria national under-23 team
Total0 Titles301235
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

West Asian Games

West Asian Games record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
Iran 1997Runners-up4301144
Kuwait 2002Third place[110]413054
Qatar 2005Runners-up413075
Total0 Titles125612613

Head-to-head record

The list shown below shows the Syria national football team all-time international record against opposing nations.

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

As of 05 June 2026 after match against  Belarus

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

Syria national football team head-to-head records
Opponent Played Wins Draws Losses GF GA GD Confederation
 Afghanistan6600224+18AFC
 Algeria612347−3CAF
 Australia401347−3AFC
 Bahrain2512762924+5AFC
 Bangladesh330051+4AFC
 Belarus200215−4UEFA
 Cambodia3300171+16AFC
 China155281429−15AFC
 Chinese Taipei4400171+16AFC
 Cyprus100101−1UEFA
 Egypt11227723−16CAF
 Greece2002012−12UEFA
 Guam220070+7AFC
 Haiti110021+1CONCACAF
 Hong Kong110020+2AFC
 India8422117+4AFC
 Indonesia5401153+12AFC
 Iran30112171652−36AFC
 Iraq33511172546−21AFC
 Japan130211937−28AFC
 Jordan431414154744+3AFC
 Kazakhstan431081+7UEFA
 Kuwait34119143951−12AFC
 Kyrgyzstan7223108+2AFC
 Laos2200200+20AFC
 Lebanon2515555028+22AFC
 Libya103341317−4AFC
 Malaysia62221214-2AFC
 Maldives7601394+35AFC
 Mauritania320142+2CAF
 Morocco703428−6CAF
 Mauritius110020+2CAF
 Myanmar4310162+14AFC
   Nepal220050+5AFC
 Nigeria100101−1CAF
 North Korea114431814+4AFC
 Oman269893928+11AFC
 Pakistan220070+7AFC
 Palestine168622513+12AFC
 Philippines5500253+22AFC
 Qatar1344519190AFC
 Russia100104−4UEFA
 San Marino110030+3UEFA
 Saudi Arabia2729162249−26AFC
 Sierra Leone110060+6CAF
 Singapore6402117+4AFC
 South Korea10136512−7AFC
 South Sudan110020+2CAF
 South Yemena2101220AFC
 Soviet Uniona100102−2UEFA
 Sri Lanka3300170+17AFC
 Sudan1042410100CAF
 Sweden1010110UEFA
 Tajikistan9513811−3AFC
 Thailand71241115−4AFC
 Tunisia126151516−1CAF
 Turkey100107−7UEFA
 Turkmenistan311165+1AFC
 United Arab Emirates2538141940−19AFC
 Uzbekistan7322550AFC
 Venezuela200226−4CONMEBOL
 Vietnam411213−2AFC
 Yemenb1411124210+32AFC
 Zimbabwe110060+6CAF
Total (62 Nations)545198134213789714+75
Last match updated was against  Belarus Belarus on 05 June 2026.

(a) Denotes defunct national football team.
(b) Including North Yemen

Honours

Regional

  • WAFF Championship
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions (1): 2012
    • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runners-up (2): 2000, 2004
    • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Third place (2): 2007, 2008
  • Arab Cup
    • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runners-up (3): 1963, 1966, 1988
  • Palestine Cup of Nations
    • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runners-up (1): 1973
  • Arab Games
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Gold medal (1): 1957
    • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Silver medal (2): 1953, 1997
    • Bronze medal (1): 1976
  • Mediterranean Games
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Gold medal (1): 1987
    • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Bronze medal (1): 1951
  • West Asian Games
    • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Silver medal (2): 1997, 2005
    • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Bronze medal (1): 2002

Friendly

  • AIFF Intercontinental Cup
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Gold medal (1): 2024

See also

  • Syria national under-23 football team
  • Syria national under-20 football team
  • Syria national under-17 football team
  • Syria national futsal team
  • Syria women's national football team
  • Syrian Football Association
  • Football in Syria
  • Sport in Syria

Notes

  1. ↑ Syria played their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Syrian civil war.

References

  1. 1 2 Smale, Simon (5 January 2019). "Who the Socceroos are facing as the Asian Cup kicks off, and when to watch". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  2. ↑ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". 11 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "Lebanon vs Syria". FA Lebanon. 26 April 1942. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "الفيفا يدرس رفع الحظر عن الملاعب السورية". Elsport News. 11 June 2018. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Syrian Football Federation". FIFA. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "Syrian Football Federation". the-afc.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  7. 1 2 Mubarak, Hassanin; Morrison, Neil. "Lebanon – International Results – Early History". RSSSF. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 Khadra, A. (28 April 1942). "[...] par 2 a 1 sur Liban". Le Jour.
  9. 1 2 3 Le Jour. 19 March 1942.
  10. ↑ "Plus homogène et plus rapide que l'équipe libanaise. L'équipe syrienne gagne par 4 buts a 1" [More consistent and faster than the Lebanese team. The Syrian team wins by 4 goals to 1]. Le Jour (in French). 6 May 1947.
  11. ↑ "Foot-ball: Le match-revanche Liban–Syrie. L'équipe syrienne gagne par 1 but a 0" [Football: The Lebanon–Syria rematch. The Syrian team wins by 1 goal to 0]. Le Jour (in French). 20 May 1947.
  12. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 1950 European qualifiers". goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "1949/50 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers". goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  14. ↑ "Syria v Greece 1949". goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Mediterranean Games 1951 (Alexandria, Egypt)". RSSSF. Dinant Abbink & Erik Garin. 21 December 2002. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017.
  16. ↑ "1st Arab Games, 1953 (Alexandria, Egypt)". Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  17. ↑ "2nd Arab Games, 1957 (Beirut, Lebanon)". Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  18. ↑ "Remembering Egypt's Best Historical Moments at the African Cup of Nations". egyptianstreets.com. Egyptian Streets. 8 June 2019. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  19. ↑ "1963 Arab Cup". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  20. ↑ Doyle, Paul (13 November 2015). "The Joy of Six". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  21. ↑ "Details in RSSSF". Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  22. ↑ "1973 Palestine Cup". Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  23. ↑ Karkora, Mahmoud. "Kuneitra Cup 1974 (Syria)". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 April 2003. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  24. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 1974 Asian Qualifiers". goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  25. ↑ "1975 Palestine Cup RSSF". Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  26. ↑ "5th Arab Games, 1976 (Damascus, Syria)". Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  27. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 1978 Asian Qualifiers". goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  28. ↑ "FIFA Technical Report - 1980 Olympics Football Tournament" (PDF). FIFA. 1980. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  29. ↑ "1980 Olympics Results". FIFA. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  30. ↑ "Asian Cup 1980". goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  31. ↑ "Asian Cup 1984". goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  32. ↑ "Asian Cup 1988". goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  33. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 1982 Asian Qualifiers". goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  34. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 1986 Asian Qualifiers". goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  35. ↑ Mediterranean Games 1987 (Latakia) Archived 4 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine - rsssf.com
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