National association football team
Kuwait
|
Nickname(s)
| Al-Azraq
(The Blue)
(The Blue Wave)
|
---|
Association
| Kuwait Football Association
|
---|
Confederation
| AFC
(Asia)
|
---|
Sub-confederation
| WAFF
(West Asia)
|
---|
Head coach
| Rui Bento
|
---|
Captain
| Fahad Al Hajeri
|
---|
Most
caps
| Bader Al-Mutawa
(196)
[1]
|
---|
Top scorer
| Bashar Abdullah
(
75
)
|
---|
Home stadium
| Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
|
---|
FIFA code
| KUW
|
---|
|
|
|
|
Current
| 139
2 (4 April 2024)
[2]
|
---|
Highest
| 24 (December 1998)
|
---|
Lowest
| 189 (December 2017)
|
---|
|
Kuwait
2?2
Libya
(
Morocco
; 3 September 1961)
|
|
Kuwait
20?0
Bhutan
(
Kuwait City
,
Kuwait
; 14 February 2000)
|
|
United Arab Republic
8?0
Kuwait
(
Morocco
; 4 September 1961)
Portugal
8?0
Kuwait
(
Leiria
,
Portugal
; 19 November 2003)
|
|
Appearances
| 1 (
first in
1982
)
|
---|
Best result
| Group stage (
1982
)
|
---|
|
Appearances
| 10 (
first in
1972
)
|
---|
Best result
| Champions
(
1980
)
|
---|
|
Appearances
| 8 (
first in
1963
)
|
---|
Best result
| Third place (
1964
,
1992
,
1998
)
|
---|
|
Appearances
| 25 (
first in
1970
)
|
---|
Best result
| Champions
(
1970
,
1972
,
1974
,
1976
,
1982
,
1986
,
1990
,
1996
,
1998
,
2010
)
|
---|
|
Appearances
| 4 (
first in
2010
)
|
---|
Best result
| Champions
(
2010
)
|
---|
Website
| kuwait-fa
.org
/en
/
|
---|
The
Kuwait national football team
(
Arabic
:
????? ?????? ???? ?????
) 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 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.
[11]
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
.
[12]
[13]
[14]
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
]
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.
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
]
Rivalries
[
edit
]
- Kuwait vs. Iraq
Statistics vs.
Iraq
[15]
|
Played
1
|
Wins
2
|
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.
[16]
[17]
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
).
[16]
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
.
[16]
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
.
[16]
- Kuwait vs. Saudi Arabia
Statistics vs.
Saudi Arabia
[18]
|
Played
1
|
Wins
2
|
Draws
|
Losses
|
GF
|
GA
|
42
|
15
|
13
|
15
|
44
|
44
|
1. Only matches recognized by
FIFA
.
2. Wins for
Kuwait
.
|
The football rivalry between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia is one of the most storied in the Gulf region, steeped in decades of competition and regional pride. This fierce rivalry often comes to the fore in the Gulf Cup and other regional tournaments, drawing significant attention from fans and media alike. Kuwait's early dominance in the 1970s and 1980s was marked by a string of successes, including winning the AFC Asian Cup in 1980 and becoming the first Arab nation to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 1982. Key players from this golden era, such as Jassem Yaqoub, Faisal Al-Dakhil, and Saad Al-Houti, were instrumental in Kuwait's regional and continental triumphs.
Saudi Arabia's rise to prominence began in the late 1980s and peaked in the 1990s, highlighted by their consecutive World Cup qualifications starting in 1994 and their three AFC Asian Cup victories in 1984, 1988, and 1996. Legendary players like Majed Abdullah, who is often regarded as one of the greatest Asian footballers of all time, and Sami Al-Jaber, a prolific striker with four World Cup appearances, played crucial roles in Saudi Arabia's footballing achievements.
Notable matches in this rivalry include the 1980 Gulf Cup final, where Kuwait defeated Saudi Arabia 3-1, showcasing their dominance at the time. Another significant encounter was the 1998 Gulf Cup, where Saudi Arabia emerged victorious, asserting their growing influence in regional football. The 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers also featured a dramatic showdown between the two teams, with Saudi Arabia securing a crucial 1-0 victory, thanks to a goal by Nawaf Al-Temyat, which helped them qualify for the World Cup.
The rivalry extends beyond these major tournaments to regular clashes in the AFC Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers, where both teams consistently vie for supremacy. Each match is more than just a game; it is a battle for national pride and regional dominance, making Kuwait vs. Saudi Arabia football rivalry is one of the most captivating and enduring in the Gulf 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
]
2024
[
edit
]
Coaching staff
[
edit
]
Name
|
Role
|
Head Coach
|
Rui Bento
|
Assistant Coach
|
Francisco Gouveia
|
Assistant Coach
|
Vasco Pereira
|
Assistant Coach
|
Filipe Joaquim do Rego Meneses
|
First Team Coach
|
Paulo Vieira
|
First Team Coach
|
Joao Francisco do Pinho Coentro
|
Goalkeeper Coach
|
Essam El Hadary
|
Fitness Coach
|
Jose Vasconcelos
|
Physiotherapist
|
Ricardo Couto
|
Team Doctor
|
Joao 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.
[19]
Caps and goals as of 4 July 2023, after the game against
India
.
Recent call-ups
[
edit
]
The following players have also been called up to the Kuwait squad within the last 12 months.
Previous squads
[
edit
]
- World Cup squads
- Asian Cup squads
Records
[
edit
]
- As of 26 March 2024
- Players in
bold
are still active with Kuwait.
Most appearances
[
edit
]
Top goalscorers
[
edit
]
Competitive record
[
edit
]
FIFA World Cup
[
edit
]
AFC Asian Cup
[
edit
]
AFC Asian Cup
record
|
|
AFC Asian Cup qualification
record
|
Year
|
Result
|
Position
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
]
Asian Games
[
edit
]
WAFF Championship
[
edit
]
Arabian Gulf Cup
[
edit
]
Arab Games
[
edit
]
Arab Games
record
|
Year
|
Round
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 6 June 2024
after match against
India
[23]
Positive Record
Neutral Record
Negative Record
All friendly and international matches have been approved,
except for Olympic matches
.
A-level matches
Honours
[
edit
]
Continental
[
edit
]
Regional
[
edit
]
- FIFA Arab Cup
- Arabian Gulf Cup
- Winners (10):
1970
,
1972
,
1974
,
1976
,
1982
,
1986
,
1990
,
1996
,
1998
,
2010
- Runners-up (1):
1979
- Third place (1):
2013
,
2002
- West Asian Games
- Winners (1): 2002
- Third place (1): 1997
- WAFF Championship
- Winners (1): 2010
- Fourth place (1): 2014
- Arab Games
* The 1992 edition organised as part of the Arab Games, and also counted as
Arab Cup
.
Invitational
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Afghanistan will play their home game at a neutral venue due to the ongoing
Afghan conflict
.
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Finalists
|
---|
|
---|
Champions
| |
---|
Runners-up
| |
---|
Third place
| |
---|
Fourth place
| |
---|
Group stage
| |
---|
|
---|
Champions
| |
---|
Runners-up
| |
---|
Third place
| |
---|
Fourth place
| |
---|
Group stage
| |
---|
|
---|
Champions
| |
---|
Runners-up
| |
---|
Third place
| |
---|
Fourth place
| |
---|
Second group stage
| |
---|
First group stage
| |
---|
|
---|
Champions
| |
---|
Runners-up
| |
---|
Third place
| |
---|
Fourth place
| |
---|
Group stage
| |
---|
|
---|
Champions
| |
---|
Runners-up
| |
---|
Third place
| |
---|
Fourth place
| |
---|
Group stage
| |
---|
|
---|
Champions
| |
---|
Runners-up
| |
---|
Third place
| |
---|
Fourth place
| |
---|
Quarter-finals
| |
---|
Group stage
| |
---|
|
---|
Champions
| |
---|
Runners-up
| |
---|
Third place
| |
---|
Fourth place
| |
---|
Quarter-finals
| |
---|
Group stage
| |
---|
|
---|
Champions
| |
---|
Runners-up
| |
---|
Third place
| |
---|
Fourth place
| |
---|
Quarter-finals
| |
---|
Group stage
| |
---|
|
---|
Champions
| |
---|
Runners-up
| |
---|
Third place
| |
---|
Fourth place
| |
---|
Quarter-finals
| |
---|
Group stage
| |
---|
|
|
---|
|
National teams
| |
---|
League competitions
| |
---|
Cups
| |
---|
Defunct Tournaments
| |
---|
|
|
---|
International competitions
| |
---|
Club competitions
| |
---|
Youth competitions
| |
---|
Women's competitions
| |
---|
Women's youth competitions
| |
---|
Related competitions
| |
---|
National teams
| |
---|
|
|
---|
|
West Asia (
WAFF
)
| |
---|
Central Asia (
CAFA
)
| |
---|
South Asia (
SAFF
)
| |
---|
East Asia (
EAFF
)
| |
---|
Southeast Asia (
AFF
)
| |
---|
Defunct
| |
---|
Former
| |
---|
|