Syria national football team

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 [fr] 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 first official qualifying match was played in Ankara against Turkey, which ended in a Syrian defeat 7–0 on 20 November 1949.^[12] 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.^[13] 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.^[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]

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).^[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 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.^[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).^{[citation needed]}

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]

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.^{[citation needed]}

1996–2007: Hope and disappointment

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).^{[citation needed]}

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]

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

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]

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 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]

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.^{[citation needed]}

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Syria vs. Lebanon

More information Statistics vs. Lebanon, Played1 ...

Statistics vs.  Lebanon[96] Played1 Wins2 Draws Losses GF GA 25 15 5 5 50 28 1. Only matches recognized by FIFA. 2. Wins for Syria.

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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

More information Statistics vs. Jordan, Played1 ...

Statistics vs.  Jordan[96] Played1 Wins2 Draws Losses GF GA 43 14 14 15 47 44 1. Only matches recognized by FIFA. 2. Wins for Syria.

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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]

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

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.

More information Kit supplier, Period ...

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

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2025

Afghanistan  v  Syria

10 June 2025 (2025-06-10) 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Afghanistan	0–1	Syria	Al Hofuf, Saudi Arabia[note 1]
20:15 UTC+3		Report Report (AFC)	Al Somah 6'	Stadium: Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium Attendance: 532 Referee: Yousif Saeed Hasan (Iraq)

United Arab Emirates  v  Syria

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

Syria  v  Kuwait

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

Syria  v  Myanmar

9 October 2025 (2025-10-09) 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Syria	5–1	Myanmar	Al Hofuf, Saudi Arabia[note 2]
	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)

Myanmar  v  Syria

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)

Pakistan  v  Syria

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)

Syria  v  South Sudan

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)

Tunisia  v  Syria

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)

Syria  v  Qatar

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)

Syria  v  Palestine

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)

Morocco  v  Syria

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  90+1'	Report		Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium Attendance: 39,167 Referee: Cristián Garay (Chile)

2026

Syria  v  Afghanistan

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)

Belarus  v  Syria

5 June Friendly	Belarus	v	Syria	Minsk, Belarus
--:-- UTC+3				Stadium: National Football Stadium

Syria  v  Bahrain

9 June Friendly	Syria	v	Bahrain	Antalya, Turkey
--:-- UTC+3				Stadium: Gloria Sports Arena

2027

Syria  v  Kyrgyzstan

9 January 2027 Asian Cup GS	Syria	v	Kyrgyzstan	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
--:--				Stadium: King Fahd Sports City Stadium

China  v  Syria

14 January 2027 Asian Cup GS	China	v	Syria	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
--:--				Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium

Iran  v  Syria

18 January 2027 Asian Cup GS	Iran	v	Syria	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
--:--				Stadium: King Fahd Sports City Stadium

Current technical staff

As of August 2024

More information Position, Name ...

Position	Name
Head coach	José Lana
Assistant coach	Khaled Ghoneim
Goalkeeping coach	Nando Juárez
Team manager
Fitness coach

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Coaching history

More information Name, Nat ...

Name	Nat	Period	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	Honours
Vinzenz Dittrich		1951
Francisc Mészáros		1954
József Albert		1956–1959					1957 Arab Games winners[102]
Miklós Vadas		1960–1965
Cornel Drăgușin[103]		1965–1966
Ezzat Abdel-Wahab		1969
Mehana Jabour		1971
Khalil Nadaf		1971–1972
Mohammed Azzam		1972
Khalil Nadaf		1972–1973
Mousa Shamas		1973–1974
Lofti Kerkuli		1974
Petre Rădulescu[104]		1974–1975
Vladimir Bolotov		1975
Mohamed Azzam		1976–1977
Lofti Kerkuli		1977
Zaki Natour		1978
Horst Zokoll		1978–1979
Mustafa Hasanagić		1979
Mousa Shamas		1980
Joseph Chadli[105]		1980
Bill Asprey[106]		1980–1982
Karl Trautmann		1983–1984
Viktor Vasilyev		1984
Avedis Kavlakian		1984–1985
Valeriy Yaremchenko		1985–1987					1987 Mediterranean Games winners
Anatoliy Azarenkov		1987–1992
Virgil Dridea[107]		1992–1993
Marwan Khouri		1994–1995
Yuri Kurnenin		1995–1997
Anouar Abdul Kader		1997
Kevork Mardikian		1997
Angel Stankov		1997
Mircea Rădulescu		1997–1998
Joel Camargo		1998–1999
Mousa Shamas		March – September 1999
Dragoslav Popović		September 1999 – February 2000
Dragoslav Sridović		March – April 2000
Božidar Vukotić		March – October 2001
Jalal Talebi		November 2001 – September 2002	10	9	0	1
Janusz Wójcik		March – August 2003
Božidar Vukotić		September – November 2003
Ahmed Rifaat		December 2003 – November 2004
Nizar Mahrous		November 2004 – 2005
Miloslav Radenović		2005 – August 2006
Fajr Ibrahim		5 August 2006 – February 2008	24	13	5	6
Mohammad Kwid		10 May – 20 August 2008	8	4	0	4
Fajr Ibrahim		13 November 2008 – 13 September 2010	28	13	9	6
Ayman Hakeem (Interim)		14 September – 20 December 2010	5	2	1	2
Ratomir Dujković		28 October – 8 December 2010	1	1	0	0
Valeriu Tiţa		21 December 2010 – 9 February 2011	6	1	0	5
Claude Le Roy		16 April – 4 May 2011	0	0	0	0
Nizar Mahrous		22 May – 18 August 2011	7	5	2	0
Marwan Khoury		7 July – 30 August 2012	4	1	1	2
Hussam Al Sayed		21 October 2012 – 10 April 2013	8	2	3	3	2012 WAFF Championship winners
Anas Makhlouf		13 April – 23 October 2013	3	0	1	2
Hussam Al Sayed (Interim)		9 – 20 November 2013	3	1	0	2
Ahmad Al Shaar		13 February – 5 March 2014	1	0	0	1
Muhannad Al Fakeer		18 September 2014 – 5 January 2015	2	2	0	0
Fajr Ibrahim		6 January 2015 – 29 March 2016	14	10	1	3
Ayman Hakeem		9 May 2016 – 20 November 2017	21	6	11	4
Bernd Stange		31 January 2018 – 10 January 2019	11	3	5	3
Fajr Ibrahim		10 January – 31 December 2019	17	7	3	7
Nabil Maâloul		11 March 2020 – 15 June 2021	7	3	0	4
Nizar Mahrous		7 July – 16 November 2021	6	0	2	4
Valeriu Tiţa		18 November 2021 – 1 February 2022	5	1	0	4
Ghassan Maatouk		9 February – 1 June 2022	3	2	1	0
Hussam Al Sayed		23 August 2022 – 1 February 2023	6	0	0	6
Héctor Cúper		2 February 2023 – 11 June 2024	18	5	6	7
José Lana		22 August 2024 –	18	11	3	4

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Source:^[108]

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Afghanistan on 31 March 2026.

Information correct as of 31 March 2026, after the match against Afghanistan.

More information No., Pos. ...

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Ahmad Madania	(1990-01-01) 1 January 1990 (age 36)	32	0	Homs Al Fidaa
	1GK	Shaher Al Shaker	(1993-04-01) 1 April 1993 (age 33)	7	0	Al-Ittihad
	1GK	Maksim Sarraf	(2005-03-15) 15 March 2005 (age 21)	0	0	Al-Karamah
	2DF	Abdullah Al Shami	(1994-03-02) 2 March 1994 (age 32)	22	0	Al-Yarmouk
	2DF	Abdulrazzak Al Mohammad	(1995-01-16) 16 January 1995 (age 31)	17	0	Al-Ittihad
	2DF	Zakaria Hannan	(1997-08-21) 21 August 1997 (age 28)	14	0	Al-Ittihad
	2DF	Fares Arnaout	(1997-01-31) 31 January 1997 (age 29)	11	0	Homs Al Fidaa
	2DF	Almiqdad Ahmad	(2004-08-01) 1 August 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Homs Al Fidaa
	2DF	Khaled Al Hajji	(2005-05-22) 22 May 2005 (age 20)	1	0	Al-Karamah
	2DF	Ibrahim Al Khalil	(2000-01-01) 1 January 2000 (age 26)	0	0	Homs Al Fidaa
	2DF	Haitham Al Louz	(2001-01-15) 15 January 2001 (age 25)	0	0	Al-Taliya
	3MF	Ahmed Ashkar	(1996-12-12) 12 December 1996 (age 29)	28	1	Al-Ittihad
	3MF	Mahmoud Nayef	(2004-01-03) 3 January 2004 (age 22)	7	0	Al-Karamah
	3MF	Yahya Karak	(2002-06-30) 30 June 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Al-Fotuwa
	3MF	Mohammad Khoja	(1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 (age 27)	1	0	Jableh
	4FW	Mohammad Al Hallaq	(1999-11-26) 26 November 1999 (age 26)	30	6	Al-Faisaly
	4FW	Mahmoud Al Aswad	(2003-09-14) 14 September 2003 (age 22)	20	2	Al-Salmiya
	4FW	Mohammad Alsalkhadi	(2001-07-29) 29 July 2001 (age 24)	15	4	Damac
	4FW	Anas Dahan	(2006-01-31) 31 January 2006 (age 20)	6	0	Al-Ittihad
	4FW	Mohammad Al Mustafa	(2005-01-20) 20 January 2005 (age 21)	1	2	Al-Hurriya
	4FW	Homam Mahmoud	(2006-04-08) 8 April 2006 (age 20)	1	0	Al-Fahaheel
	4FW	Zeid Gharir	(1998-01-10) 10 January 1998 (age 28)	0	0	Al-Wahda
	4FW	Mohammad Saraqbi	(2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 (age 23)	0	0	Al-Karamah

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Recent call-ups

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

More information Pos., Player ...

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Elias Hadaya	(1998-08-21) 21 August 1998 (age 27)	9	0	Sandefjord	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
GK	Talal Al Hussain	(1995-11-29) 29 November 1995 (age 30)	0	0	Al-Fotuwa	v.  Kuwait, 8 September 2025
DF	Khaled Kourdoghli	(1997-01-31) 31 January 1997 (age 29)	39	0	Duhok	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
DF	Ahmad Faqa	(2003-01-10) 10 January 2003 (age 23)	15	2	AIK	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
DF	Alan Aussi	(2001-06-30) 30 June 2001 (age 24)	3	0	F91 Dudelange	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
DF	Adham Ghandour	(2000-02-01) 1 February 2000 (age 26)	0	0	Al-Karamah	v.  Pakistan, 18 November 2025
DF	Omar Midani	(1994-01-26) 26 January 1994 (age 32)	70	1	Al-Salmiya	v.  Myanmar, 14 October 2025
DF	Aiham Ousou	(2000-01-09) 9 January 2000 (age 26)	12	0	Charleroi	v.  Myanmar, 14 October 2025
DF	Diaa Al-Haq Mohammad	(1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 (age 27)	2	0	Al-Wahda	v.  Kuwait, 8 September 2025
DF	Moayad Ajan	(1993-02-16) 16 February 1993 (age 33)	76	3	Al-Karamah	v.  Afghanistan, 10 June 2025
DF	Muayad Al Khouli	(1993-10-16) 16 October 1993 (age 32)	16	0	Sohar	v.  Afghanistan, 10 June 2025
MF	Mouhamad Anez	(1995-05-14) 14 May 1995 (age 30)	40	1	Borneo	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
MF	Elmar Abraham	(1999-03-01) 1 March 1999 (age 27)	20	0	IFK Skövde	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
MF	Simon Amin	(1997-11-13) 13 November 1997 (age 28)	12	0	Al-Mosul	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
MF	Hasan Dahan	(2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 (age 23)	5	0	Al-Ittihad	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
MF	Thaer Krouma	(1990-02-02) 2 February 1990 (age 36)	46	1	Al-Karamah	v.  Pakistan, 18 November 2025
MF	Ammar Ramadan	(2001-01-05) 5 January 2001 (age 25)	22	0	Dunajská Streda	v.  Pakistan, 18 November 2025
MF	Koran Khello	(1997-07-05) 5 July 1997 (age 28)	1	0	Al-Wahda	v.  Pakistan, 18 November 2025
MF	Mohammed Osman	(1994-01-01) 1 January 1994 (age 32)	31	2	Lamphun Warriors	v.  Myanmar, 14 October 2025
MF	Ahmad Al Dali	(2002-03-21) 21 March 2002 (age 24)	10	0	Al-Tadamon	v.  Myanmar, 14 October 2025
MF	Mustafa Jneid	(2000-01-11) 11 January 2000 (age 26)	9	0	Al-Wahda	v.  Myanmar, 14 October 2025
MF	Malek Janeer	(2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 (age 23)	0	0	Al-Wasl	v.  United Arab Emirates, 4 September 2025INJ
MF	Mustafa Abdullatif	(2003-12-15) 15 December 2003 (age 22)	4	0	Hannover 96 II	v.  Afghanistan, 10 June 2025
FW	Omar Khribin	(1994-01-15) 15 January 1994 (age 32)	70	31	Al Wahda	v.  Afghanistan, 31 March 2026WD
FW	Mahmoud Al-Mawas	(1993-01-01) 1 January 1993 (age 33)	109	17	Al-Shorta	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
FW	Yassin Samia	(1998-02-22) 22 February 1998 (age 28)	12	3	Al-Minaa	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
FW	Antonio Yakoub	(2002-06-12) 12 June 2002 (age 23)	7	0	Örebro SK	v.  Morocco, 11 December 2025
FW	Alaa Al Dali	(1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 29)	26	5	Al-Mosul	v.  Pakistan, 18 November 2025
FW	Pablo Sabbag	(1997-06-11) 11 June 1997 (age 28)	10	4	Al-Ahli	v.  Myanmar, 14 October 2025
FW	Noah Shamoun	(2002-12-08) 8 December 2002 (age 23)	8	1	Värnamo	v.  Myanmar, 9 October 2025INJ
FW	Omar Al Somah (captain)	(1989-03-23) 23 March 1989 (age 37)	45	23	Al-Hazem	v.  Kuwait, 8 September 2025
FW	Mardik Mardikian	(1992-03-14) 14 March 1992 (age 34)	46	8	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.

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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

Most appearances

Top goalscorers

FIFA World Cup

More information FIFA World Cup record, Qualification record ...

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
1950	Withdrew								1	0	0	1	0	7
1954	Did not enter								Did not enter
1958	Did not qualify								2	0	1	1	1	2
1962	Withdrew								Withdrew
1966
1970	Did not enter								Did not enter
1974	Did not qualify								6	3	1	2	6	6
1978	Withdrew								4	1	0	3	2	6
1982	Did not qualify								4	0	0	4	2	7
1986									8	4	3	1	8	4
1990									4	2	1	1	7	5
1994									6	3	3	0	14	4
1998									6	3	1	2	30	5
2002									6	4	1	1	40	6
2006									6	2	2	2	7	7
2010									10	6	2	2	23	10
2014	Disqualified								2	0	0	2	0	6
2018	Did not qualify								20	9	5	6	37	22
2022									18	8	3	7	31	23
2026									6	2	1	3	9	12
2030	To be determined								To be determined
2034
Total	0/20	–	–	–	–	–	–	109	47	24	38	217	132

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

AFC Asian Cup

More information AFC Asian Cup record, Qualification record ...

AFC Asian Cup record									Qualification record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1956	Not a AFC member								Not a AFC member
1960
1964
1968
1972	Did not qualify								3	0	2	1	4	5
1976	Withdrew								Withdrew
1980	Group stage	4	2	1	1	3	2		3	2	1	0	2	0
1984		4	1	1	2	3	5		5	3	0	2	9	8
1988		4	2	0	2	2	5		4	3	1	0	8	2
1992	Did not qualify								2	1	0	1	3	4
1996	Group stage	3	1	0	2	3	6		4	3	0	1	6	2
2000	Did not qualify								6	4	1	1	11	3
2004									6	2	1	3	16	10
2007									6	2	2	2	10	6
2011	Group stage	3	1	0	2	4	5		6	4	2	0	10	2
2015	Did not qualify								6	1	1	4	7	7
2019	Group stage	3	0	1	2	2	5		8	6	0	2	26	11
2023	Round of 16	4	1	2	1	2	2		8	7	0	1	22	7
2027	Qualified								12	8	1	3	30	14
Total	Round of 16	25	8	5	12	19	30	79	46	12	21	164	81

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

More information AFC Asian Cup history, Year ...

AFC Asian Cup history
Year	Round	Score	Result
1980
	Round 1	Syria  0–0  Iran	Draw
	Round 1	Syria  1–0  Bangladesh	Win
	Round 1	Syria  1–2  North Korea	Loss
	Round 1	Syria  1–0  China	Win
1984
	Round 1	Syria  1–1  Qatar	Draw
	Round 1	Syria  0–1  Saudi Arabia	Loss
	Round 1	Syria  1–0  South Korea	Win
	Round 1	Syria  1–3  Kuwait	Loss
1988
	Round 1	Syria  0–2  Saudi Arabia	Loss
	Round 1	Syria  0–3  China	Loss
	Round 1	Syria  1–0  Kuwait	Win
	Round 1	Syria  1–0  Bahrain	Win
1996
	Round 1	Syria  1–2  Japan	Loss
	Round 1	Syria  0–3  China	Loss
	Round 1	Syria  2–1  Uzbekistan	Win
2011
	Round 1	Syria  2–1  Saudi Arabia	Win
	Round 1	Syria  1–2  Japan	Loss
	Round 1	Syria  1–2  Jordan	Loss
2019
	Round 1	Syria  0–0  Palestine	Draw
	Round 1	Syria  0–2  Jordan	Loss
	Round 1	Syria  2–3  Australia	Loss
2023
	Round 1	Syria  0–0  Uzbekistan	Draw
	Round 1	Syria  0–1  Australia	Loss
	Round 1	Syria  1–0  India	Win
	Round of 16	Syria  1–1 (3–5 p)  Iran	Draw

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Olympic Games

More information Olympic Games record, Olympic Games qualification record ...

Olympic Games record									Olympic Games qualification record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1900 to 1968	Did not enter
1972	Did not qualify								2	0	1	1	0	1
1976	Did not enter
1980	Round 1	3	0	1	2	0	8		4	2	0	2	3	1
1984	Did not qualify								6	2	1	3	6	10
1988									2	0	0	2	0	5
1992 to present	See Syria national under-23 team								See Syria national under-23 team
Total	0 Titles	3	0	1	2	0	8	14	4	2	8	9	17

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

WAFF Championship

More information WAFF Championship record, Year ...

WAFF Championship record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2000	Runners-up	5	2	1	2	5	2
2002	Fourth place	4	1	1	2	5	6
2004	Runners-up	4	1	1	2	6	13
2007	Semi-finals	3	2	0	1	2	3
2008	Semi-finals	3	1	1	1	2	3
2010	Group stage	2	0	1	1	2	3
2012	Champions	4	2	2	0	5	3
2014	Withdrew
2019	Group stage	4	0	2	2	5	7
2026	Qualified
Total	1 Title	29	9	9	11	32	40

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

FIFA Arab Cup

More information FIFA Arab Cup record, Year ...

FIFA Arab Cup record
Year	Round	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1963	Runners-up	4	3	0	1	9	4
1964	Did not enter
1966	Runners-up	5	3	1	1	9	4
1985	Did not enter
1988	Runners-up	6	2	2	2	5	5
1992	Fourth place	4	0	3	1	2	3
1998	Group stage	2	0	0	2	1	6
2002	Group stage	4	2	0	2	8	6
2012	Did not enter
2021	Group stage	3	1	0	2	4	4
2025	Quarter-finals	4	1	2	1	2	2
2029	To be determined
2033
Total	0 Titles	32	12	8	12	40	34

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