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Syria national football team

Men's association football team


Men's association football team

FieldValue
NameSyria
Badge_size200px
Nicknameنُسُور قَاسِيُون, ar
(The Qasioun Eagles)
AssociationSyrian Football Association (SFA)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationWAFF (West Asia)
UAFA (Arab world)
CoachJosé Lana
CaptainOmar Al Somah
Most capsMaher Al-Sayed
Mahmoud Al-Mawas (109)
Top scorerFiras Al-Khatib (36)
Home StadiumVarious
FIFA TrigrammeSYR
FIFA Rank
FIFA max68
FIFA max date1 July 2018
FIFA min152
FIFA min dateSeptember 2014, March 2015
Elo Rank
Elo max53
Elo max dateOctober 1974
Elo min125
Elo min dateSeptember 1984
pattern_la1_whiteborder
pattern_b1_collarwhite
pattern_ra1_whiteborder
pattern_sh1_irq25h
pattern_so1_whitetop
leftarm1007A3D
body1007A3D
rightarm1007A3D
shorts1007A3D
socks1007A3D
pattern_la2_blackborder
pattern_b2_collarblack
pattern_ra2_blackborder
pattern_sh2_jakoteam1819wb
leftarm2FFFFFF
body2FFFFFF
rightarm2FFFFFF
shorts2FFFFFF
socks2FFFFFF
First game1–2
(Beirut, Lebanon; 26 April 1942)
Largest win13–0 Muscat and Oman Flag_of_Muscat.svg
(Cairo, Egypt; 6 September 1965)
Largest loss8–0
(Athens, Greece; 25 November 1949)
8–0
(Alexandria, Egypt; 16 October 1951)
Regional nameAsian Cup
Regional cup apps7
Regional cup first1980
Regional cup bestRound of 16 (2023)
2ndRegional nameArab Cup
2ndRegional cup bestRunners-up (1963, 1966, 1988)
2ndRegional cup apps7
2ndRegional cup first1963
3rdRegional nameWAFF Championship
3rdRegional cup apps8
3rdRegional cup first2000
3rdRegional cup bestChampions (2012)
Note

the men's team

(The Qasioun Eagles) | Sub-confederation = WAFF (West Asia) UAFA (Arab world) Mahmoud Al-Mawas (109) (Beirut, Lebanon; 26 April 1942) (Cairo, Egypt; 6 September 1965) (Athens, Greece; 25 November 1949) 8–0 (Alexandria, Egypt; 16 October 1951)

The Syria national football team () represents Syria in international football, and is controlled by the Syrian Arab Federation for Football, the governing body for football in Syria. Syria has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, but did reach the fourth qualification round in 2018. The team was banned by FIFA from playing at home since December 2010. Internationally, Syria won the 2012 WAFF Championship, 1957 Arab Games and the 1987 Mediterranean Games.

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. 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. 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.

Syria's first official football match took place on 26 April 1942, against Lebanon, as part of the Coupe Hauteclocque. 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. The Coupe Hauteclocque, a trophy donated by French diplomat in 1939, was intended to be a regular fixture between Lebanon and Syria. Although two matches were initially planned, only the Beirut fixture was played. The cup became a point of contention, as the Syrian Football Association had retained possession of it since 1939. Syria later played two additional friendly matches against Lebanon in 1947, winning 4–1 in Beirut on 4 May, and 1–0 in Aleppo on 18 May.

Syria's first official qualifying match was played in Ankara against Turkey, which ended in a Syrian defeat 7–0 on 20 November 1949. Thanks to that, the Syrian team participated in the 1950 FIFA World Cup qualification as one of the first teams in the region to do so. One of the biggest defeats was played in Athens against Greece, on 25 November 1949, 5 days after its first official match which ended in a score of 8–0 for the Greeks.

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.

The first great success of the national team was silver at the 1953 Arab Games, when they were defeated in the final by Egypt (4–0). 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.

In the FIFA World Cup 1958 qualifiers, the Syrian football team was defeated by the Sudan in the 1st 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. Syria reached the finals in the FIFA Arab Cup twice: in 1963 (beaten by Tunisia) and 1966 (beaten by Iraq).

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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. In 1976, Damascus hosted the Arab Games, whose football tournament was played at the Abbasiyyin Stadium, where the home Syrian team won bronze medals.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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. 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. 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. 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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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).

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. 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.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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. Shortly afterwards, they were disqualified from the 2014 FIFA World Cup due to the use of an ineligible player.

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). Official Syrian television interrupted its broadcasts to announce the victory and show the presentation of the cup live.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

This was the best performance by "the Qasioun Eagles" to date in a World Cup qualifying phase. 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.

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.

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.

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).

2019 Asia Cup, Syria v Palestine

The Syrian coach Bernd Stange was sacked after this tournament, and replaced with former manager Fajr Ibrahim. 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.

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. 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). Subsequently, in an important match, they defeated China 2–1 after Osama Omari's goal and Zhang Linpeng's own goal. In the next match, the national team defeated the Philippines 1–0 with a decisive goal by midfielder Ward Al Salama. On 11 March 2020, Tunisian Nabil Maâloul was appointed head coach of Syria.

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. With the 1st place assured, Syria then lost to China 1–3 in the final game, which was irrelevant to the final standing.

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. 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. 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.

At the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, under the leadership of new coach Valeriu Tița, they showed up in good form. They played the first match in Group B against the UAE, which they lost 1–2. 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. 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.

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. 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.

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, after being drawn into Group B alongside Australia, India and Uzbekistan. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Stadiums

Home stadiums listImageStadiumCapacityLocationLast match
[[File:Aleppo International Stadium, day view, 2009 (1).jpg150px]]Aleppo International Stadium53,200Aleppov
(18 November 2009; 2011 Asian Cup Q)
[[File:Abbasiyyin stadium from a distance.jpg150px]]Abbasiyyin Stadium30,000Damascusv
(22 December 2010; Friendly)
[[File:Al-Hamadaniya stad Aleppo1.jpg150px]]Al-Hamadaniah Stadium15,000Aleppov
(22 February 2006; 2007 Asian Cup Q)
[[File:Jalaa stad.jpg150px]]Al-Jalaa Stadium10,000Damascusv
(26 March 2004; Friendly)

Rivalries

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

Syria vs. Lebanon

Statistics vs.Played1Wins2DrawsLossesGFGA
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. 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. In 1947 Syria played two more friendlies against Lebanon: 4–1 victory in Beirut on 4 May, and 1–0 victory in Aleppo on 18 May. 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.Played1Wins2DrawsLossesGFGA
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.

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.

Kits

Kit supplierPeriodNotes
ITA Diadora2005–2010
GER Adidas2011–2014
ITA Lotto2015–2017
GER Jako2018–2020
GER Uhlsport2021–2022
GER Jako2022–

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.

2025

Report (AFC)

  • Faqa
  • Al Somah Report (AFC)
  • Al Somah
  • Ivković
  • Al-Ghassani
  • Gastón Suárez
  • Al Salkhadi
  • Shamoun
  • Faqa
  • Dashti
  • Daham Report (AFC)
  • Khribin
  • Al Salkhadi
  • Al Hallaq
  • Kyaw Report (AFC)
  • Sabbag
  • Al Salkhadi Report (AFC)
  • Al Hallaq
  • Samia
  • Al Dali
  • Al Hallaq
  • Al Mawas
  • Moufid

2026

Coaching staff

Current technical staff

PositionName
Head coachSpain José Lana
Assistant coachEgypt Khaled Ghoneim
Goalkeeping coachSpain Nando Juárez
Team manager
Fitness coach

Coaching history

NameNatPeriodMatchesWinsDrawsLossesHonours
Vinzenz DittrichAustria1951
Francisc MészárosHungary1954
József AlbertHungary1956–19591957 Arab Games winners
Miklós VadasHungary1960–1965
url=https://adevarul.ro/news/sport/povesti-alte-timpuri-cornel-dragusin-antrenat-irak-siria-colonelul-pazea-ajuns-presedintele-tarii-1_5958084c5ab6550cb8b42e5b/index.htmltitle=Poveşti din alte timpuri. Cornel Drăguşin a antrenat în Irak şi Siria: "Colonelul care mă păzea a ajuns preşedintele ţării!"publisher=Adevarul.rolanguage=Romaniantrans-title=Stories from other times. Cornel Dragusin trained in Iraq and Syria: "The colonel who was guarding me has become the president of the country!"date=2 July 2017access-date=28 June 2021archive-date=28 June 2021archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628085600/https://adevarul.ro/news/sport/povesti-alte-timpuri-cornel-dragusin-antrenat-irak-siria-colonelul-pazea-ajuns-presedintele-tarii-1_5958084c5ab6550cb8b42e5b/index.htmlurl-status=live }}Romania1965–1966
Ezzat Abdel-WahabUAR1969
Mehana JabourSYR1971
Khalil NadafSYR1971–1972
Mohammed AzzamSYR1972
Khalil NadafSYR1972–1973
Mousa ShamasSYR1973–1974
Lofti KerkuliSYR1974
Petre RădulescuRomania1974–1975
Vladimir BolotovUSSR1975
Mohamed AzzamSYR1976–1977
Lofti KerkuliSYR1977
Zaki NatourSYR1978
Horst ZokollGDR1978–1979
Mustafa HasanagićYUG1979
Mousa ShamasSYR1980
Joseph ChadliSyria1980
last1=Matthewsfirst1=Tonytitle=The Legends of Stoke Citydate=18 December 2008publisher=Breedon Bookslocation=Derby, United Kingdomisbn=978-1-85983-653-8pages=14–5}}ENG1980–1982
Karl TrautmannGDR1983–1984
Viktor VasilyevUSSR1984
Avedis KavlakianSyria1984–1985
Valeriy YaremchenkoUSSR1985–19871987 Mediterranean Games winners
Anatoliy AzarenkovUSSR
Ukraine1987–1992
Virgil DrideaRomania1992–1993
Marwan KhouriSYR1994–1995
Yuri KurneninBelarus1995–1997
Anouar Abdul KaderSyria1997
Kevork MardikianSyria1997
Angel StankovBUL1997
Mircea RădulescuRomania1997–1998
Joel CamargoBRA1998–1999
Mousa ShamasSyriaMarch – September 1999
Dragoslav PopovićFR YugoslaviaSeptember 1999 – February 2000
Dragoslav SridovićFR YugoslaviaMarch – April 2000
Božidar VukotićFR YugoslaviaMarch – October 2001
Jalal TalebiIRNNovember 2001 – September 200210901
Janusz WójcikPOLMarch – August 2003
Božidar VukotićSerbia and MontenegroSeptember – November 2003
Ahmed RifaatEGYDecember 2003 – November 2004
Nizar MahrousSYRNovember 2004 – 2005
Miloslav Radenović2005 – August 2006
Fajr IbrahimSYR5 August 2006 – February 2008241356
Mohammad KwidSYR10 May – 20 August 20088404
Fajr IbrahimSYR13 November 2008 – 13 September 2010281396
Ayman Hakeem (Interim)SYR14 September – 20 December 20105212
Ratomir DujkovićSRB28 October – 8 December 20101100
Valeriu TiţaROM21 December 2010 – 9 February 20116105
Claude Le RoyFRA16 April – 4 May 20110000
Nizar MahrousSYR22 May – 18 August 20117520
Marwan KhourySYR7 July – 30 August 20124112
Hussam Al SayedSYR21 October 2012 – 10 April 201382332012 WAFF Championship winners
Anas MakhloufSYR13 April – 23 October 20133012
Hussam Al Sayed (Interim)SYR9 – 20 November 20133102
Ahmad Al ShaarSYR13 February – 5 March 20141001
Muhannad Al FakeerSYR18 September 2014 – 5 January 20152200
Fajr IbrahimSYR6 January 2015 – 29 March 2016141013
Ayman HakeemSYR9 May 2016 – 20 November 2017216114
Bernd StangeGER31 January 2018 – 10 January 201911353
Fajr IbrahimSYR10 January – 31 December 201917737
Nabil MaâloulTUN11 March 2020 – 15 June 20217304
Nizar MahrousSYR7 July – 16 November 20216024
Valeriu TiţaROM18 November 2021 – 1 February 20225104
Ghassan MaatoukSYR9 February – 1 June 20223210
Hussam Al SayedSYR23 August 2022 – 1 February 20236006
Héctor CúperARG2 February 2023 – 11 June 202418567
José LanaSPA22 August 2024 –171034

Source:

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup.

:Information correct as of 11 December 2025, after the match against Morocco.

Recent call-ups

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

Player records

Main article: Syria national football team records and statistics

: :Players in bold are still active with Syria.

Most appearances

RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareer
1Maher Al-Sayed109291999–2013
Mahmoud Al-Mawas109172012–present
3Ali Diab9742004–2013
4Mosab Balhous8602006–2016
5Raja Rafe84322002–2015
6Tarek Jabban8351996–2007
7Ibrahim Alma8002012–present
8Moayad Ajan7632012–present
Nizar Mahrous76121985–1993
10George Khouri7481982–1989

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerGoalsCapsRatioCareer
1Firas Al-Khatib36722001–2019
2Raja Rafe32842006–2016
3Omar Khribin31682012–present
4Maher Al-Sayed291091999–2013
5Said Bayazid24241997–2001
6Omar Al Somah23442012–present
7Zyad Chaabo22492001–2010
8Mahmoud Al-Mawas171092012–present
9Mohamed Al-Zeno15482004–2011
10Avedis Kavlakian141953–1966

Competitive record

Australia

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup recordQualification recordYearRoundPldWD*LGFGAPldWDLGFGATotal0/23109472438217132
1930 to 1938Not a FIFA memberNot a FIFA member
Brazil 1950Withdrew100107
Switzerland 1954Did not enterDid not enter
Sweden 1958Did not qualify201112
Chile 1962WithdrewWithdrew
England 1966
Mexico 1970Did not enterDid not enter
West Germany 1974Did not qualify631266
Argentina 1978Withdrew410326
Spain 1982Did not qualify400427
Mexico 1986843184
Italy 1990421175
United States of America 19946330144
France 19986312305
South Korea Japan 20026411406
Germany 2006622277
South Africa 2010106222310
Brazil 2014Disqualified200206
Russia 2018Did not qualify209563722
Qatar 2022188373123
Canada Mexico United States of America 20266213912
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030To be determinedTo be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034

:*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

AFC Asian Cup

Main article: Syria at the AFC Asian Cup

Australia
AFC Asian Cup recordQualification recordYearRoundPldWDLGFGAPldWDLGFGATotalRound of 1625851219307845122115980
Hong Kong 1956Not a AFC memberNot a AFC member
South Korea 1960
Israel 1964
Iran 1968
Thailand 1972Did not qualify302145
Iran 1976WithdrewWithdrew
Kuwait 1980Group stage421132321020
Singapore 1984411235530298
Qatar 1988420225431082
Japan 1992Did not qualify210134
United Arab Emirates 1996Group stage310236430162
Lebanon 2000Did not qualify6411113
China 200462131610
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 20076222106
Qatar 2011Group stage3102456420102
Australia 2015Did not qualify611477
United Arab Emirates 2019Group stage30122586022611
Qatar 2023Round of 164121228701227
Saudi Arabia 2027Qualified117132513

:*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

AFC Asian Cup historyYearRoundScoreResult
1980
Round 10–0Draw
Round 11–0Win
Round 11–2Loss
Round 11–0Win
1984
Round 11–1Draw
Round 10–1Loss
Round 11–0Win
Round 11–3Loss
1988
Round 10–2Loss
Round 10–3Loss
Round 11–0Win
Round 11–0Win
1996
Round 11–2Loss
Round 10–3Loss
Round 12–1Win
2011
Round 12–1Win
Round 11–2Loss
Round 11–2Loss
2019
Round 10–0Draw
Round 10–2Loss
Round 12–3Loss
2023
Round 10–0Draw
Round 10–1Loss
Round 11–0Win
Round of 161–1 Draw

Olympic Games

Olympic Games recordOlympic Games qualification recordYearResultPldWD*LGFGAPldWD*LGFGATotal0 Titles30120814428917
France 1900 to 1968 MexicoDid not enter
West Germany 1972Did not qualify201101
Canada 1976Did not enter
USSR 1980Round 1301208420231
USA 1984Did not qualify6213610
Korea Republic 1988200205
Spain 1992 to presentSee Syria national under-23 teamSee Syria national under-23 team

:*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

WAFF Championship

WAFF Championship recordYearRoundPldWD*LGFGATotal1 Title2999113240
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
OMA 2026Qualified

:*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

FIFA Arab Cup

FIFA Arab Cup recordYearRoundPldWD*LGFGATotal0 Titles32128124034
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

:*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Palestine Cup of Nations

Palestine Cup of Nations recordYearRoundPldWDLGFGATotal0 Titles168173029
IRQ 1972Fourth place64021110
LBY 1973Runners-up63121611
TUN 1975Fourth place410338

Arab Games

Arab Games recordYearRoundPldWD*LGFGATotal1 Title331211105740
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

:*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Mediterranean Games

Mediterranean Games recordYearRoundPldWDLGFGATotal1 Title1841131541
Egypt 1951Third place2002012
Spain 1955Fourth place3003010
Lebanon 1959Did not enter
Italy 1963Group stage3003110
Tunisia 1967Did not enter
Turkey 1971Group stage300314
Algeria1975Did not enter
Yugoslavia 1979
Morocco 1983Group stage200202
Syria 1987Champions5410133
Italy 1991 to presentSee Syria national under-20 team

Asian Games

Asian Games recordYearRoundPldWD*LGFGATotal0 Titles301235
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 presentSee Syria national under-23 team

:*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

West Asian Games

West Asian Games recordYearRoundPldWDLGFGATotal0 Titles125612613
Iran 1997Runners-up4301144
Kuwait 2002Third place413054
Qatar 2005Runners-up413075

Head-to-head record

Main article: Syria national football team records and statistics

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

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

Syria national football team head-to-head recordsOpponentPlayedWinsDrawsLossesGFGAGDConfederationTotal (62 Nations)544197134213784713+71Last match updated was against MAR Morocco on 11 December 2025.
5500173+14AFC
612347−3CAF
401347−3AFC
2512762924+5AFC
330051+4AFC
100101−1UEFA
3300171+16AFC
155281429−15AFC
4400171+16AFC
100101−1UEFA
11227723−16CAF
2002012−12UEFA
220070+7AFC
110021+1CONCACAF
110020+2AFC
8422117+4AFC
5401153+12AFC
30112171652−36AFC
33511172546−21AFC
130211937−28AFC
431414154744+3AFC
431081+7UEFA
34119143951−12AFC
7223108+2AFC
2200200+20AFC
2515555028+22AFC
103341317−4AFC
62221214-2AFC
7601394+35AFC
320142+2CAF
703428−6CAF
110020+2CAF
4310162+14AFC
220050+5AFC
100101−1CAF
114431814+4AFC
269893928+11AFC
220070+7AFC
168622513+12AFC
5500253+22AFC
1344519190AFC
100104−4UEFA
110030+3UEFA
2729162249−26AFC
110060+6CAF
6402117+4AFC
10136512−7AFC
110020+2CAF
a2101220AFC
a100102−2UEFA
3300170+17AFC
1042410100CAF
1010110UEFA
9513811−3AFC
71241115−4AFC
126151516−1CAF
100107−7UEFA
311165+1AFC
2538141940−19AFC
7322550AFC
200226−4CONMEBOL
411213−2AFC
b1411124210+32AFC
110060+6CAF

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

Honours

Regional

  • WAFF Championship
  • Arab Cup
  • Palestine Cup of Nations
    • Runners-up (1): 1973
  • Arab Games
    • Gold medal (1): 1957
    • Silver medal (2): 1953, 1997
    • Bronze medal (1): 1976
  • Mediterranean Games
    • Gold medal (1): 1987
    • Bronze medal (1): 1951
  • West Asian Games
    • Silver medal (2): 1997, 2005
    • Bronze medal (1): 2002

Friendly

  • AIFF Intercontinental Cup
    • Gold medal (1): 2024

Notes

References

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