Lebanon

The team is overseen by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at the continental level and FIFA globally. Despite not qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, Lebanon has successfully qualified for the AFC Asian Cup three times, debuting in 2000 as the host nation of the event. The key venue for Lebanon's matches is the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut, although they also play in other locations such as the Saida Municipal Stadium in Sidon. In 1935, Lebanon played their first unofficial match against the Romanian side CA Timișoara (TAC), which was not officially recognized by FIFA. The team's first FIFA-recognized game took place in 1940 against Mandatory Palestine. During the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign, Lebanon reached the final qualifying round for the first time after defeating South Korea 2-1 at home in 2011. However, they were unable to secure a spot in the 2014 World Cup, finishing at the bottom of their group. In the 2019 Asian Cup, Lebanon came close to advancing to the knockout stage for the first time but lost a tiebreaker to Vietnam based on the fair play rule, leading to their elimination at the group stage. Lebanon is also active in the Arab Cup, the WAFF Championship, and the Arab Games, achieving third place as hosts at the Arab Cup and the Arab Games on separate occasions. Known as "the Cedars" (Arabic: رجال الأرز) in reference to their national symbol, the Lebanese team is widely recognized by fans and the media. The team's home kit predominantly features red, while the away kit is white, mirroring the colors of the national flag. Despite a decline in their FIFA ranking from 1998 to 2016, Lebanon experienced a significant improvement, climbing 66 places from 147th in 2016 to 81st in 2018, reaching their highest rank of 77th in September 2018. This achievement followed a remarkable 16-game unbeaten streak between March 29, 2016, and September 9, 2018, during which Lebanon won eight matches and drew eight.