Lebanon_national_under-20_football_team
The Lebanon national under-20 football team (Arabic: منتخب لبنان تحت 20 سنة لكرة القدم) is the national under-20 football team of Lebanon and is controlled by the Lebanese Football Association. The team also serves as the national under-19 and national under-18 football teams of Lebanon.
This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Lebanon women's national under-20 football team.
Quick Facts Nickname(s), Association ...
| Nickname(s) | منتخب الشباب (The Youth Team) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Lebanon Football Association (الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم) | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | WAFF (West Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Bilal Fleifel | ||
| Home stadium | Various | ||
| FIFA code | LBN | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Lebanon 0–0 India  (Tehran, Iran; 16 April 1973) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Lebanon 6–1 Singapore  (Dushanbe, Tajikistan; 18 September 2022) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Syria 6–0 Lebanon (Fujairah, United Arab Emirates; 2 November 2011) | |||
| AFC U-20 Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 1973) | ||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (1973) | ||
| Arab Cup U-20 | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1985) | ||
| Best result | Group stage (1985, 2021, 2022) | ||
| WAFF U-18 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2021) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2021) | ||
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While the team has never qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, they have participated twice in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup, in 1973 and in 2008, with their best result being reaching the quarter-finals in the 1973 edition.[1][2] In the 2021 WAFF U-18 Championship, the U18 team made history by becoming the first Lebanon men's national team to reach a final, losing to hosts Iraq on penalty-shootouts.[3] They also participate in the Arab Cup U-20 and Jeux de la Francophonie, failing to go past the group stage in both competitions.
Notable former under-20 players include Nour Mansour, Rabih Ataya, and Mohamad Haidar,[4] who all went on to play for the senior side.[5]
FIFA U-20 World Cup
More information FIFA U-20 World Cup record, Qualification record ...
| FIFA U-20 World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation(s) and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Outcome | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1977 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
 1979 | |||||||||||||||||
 1981 | |||||||||||||||||
 1983 | |||||||||||||||||
 1985 | |||||||||||||||||
 1987 | |||||||||||||||||
 1989 |
Did not qualify | The 1988 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
 1991 |
The 1990 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
| 1993 |
The 1992 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
 1995 |
The 1994 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
 1997 |
The 1996 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
 1999 |
The 1998 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
 2001 |
The 2000 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
 2003 |
Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
 2005 |
Did not qualify | The 2004 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
 2007 |
The 2006 AFC Youth Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
 2009 |
The 2008 AFC U-19 Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
 2011 |
Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
 2013 |
Did not qualify | The 2012 AFC U-19 Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
 2015 |
The 2014 AFC U-19 Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
 2017 |
The 2016 AFC U-19 Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
 2019 |
The 2018 AFC U-19 Championship served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023 |
The 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
| 2025 |
To be decided | The 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup will serve as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Total | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
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AFC U-20 Asian Cup
More information AFC U-20 Asian Cup record, Qualification record ...
| AFC U-20 Asian Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation(s) and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Outcome | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1959 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
| 1960 | |||||||||||||||||
 1961 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1962 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1963 | |||||||||||||||||
 1964 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1965 | |||||||||||||||||
 1966 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1967 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1968 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1969 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1970 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1971 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1972 | |||||||||||||||||
 1973 |
Quarter-finals | 5th of 14 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | Qualified as invitees | |||||||
| 1974 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
 1975 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1976 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1977 | |||||||||||||||||
 1978 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1980 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1982 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1985 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1986 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1988 |
Did not qualify | 3rd of 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | |||||||||
 1990 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
| 1992 |
Did not qualify | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994 |
|||||||||||||||||
| 1996 |
4th of 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 1998 |
|||||||||||||||||
| 2000 |
4th of 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 2002 |
Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
| 2004 |
Did not qualify | 3rd of 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
| 2006 |
3rd of 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2008 |
Round 1 | 15th of 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | Squad | 2nd of 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | |
 2010 |
Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
| 2012 |
Did not qualify | 3rd of 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | |||||||||
 2014 |
3rd of 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||||||||||
 2016 |
3rd of 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 2018 |
3rd of 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||
 2020 |
2nd of 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2023 |
2nd of 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | ||||||||||
| Total | Best: quarter-finals | 2/41 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 13 | — | Total | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
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Arab Cup U-20
More information Arab Cup U-20 record, Host nation(s) and year ...
| Arab Cup U-20 record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation(s) and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
 1983 |
Did not participate | ||||||||
 1985 |
Group stage | 9th of 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
 1989 |
Did not participate | ||||||||
| 2011 |
Did not participate | ||||||||
 2012 | |||||||||
| 2014 |
Cancelled | ||||||||
| 2020 |
Did not participate | ||||||||
| 2021 |
Group stage | 15th of 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 | — |
| 2022 |
Group stage | 14th of 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Squad |
| Total | Best: group stage | 1/5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 14 | — |
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WAFF U-18 Championship
More information WAFF U-18 Championship record, Host nation(s) and year ...
| WAFF U-18 Championship record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation(s) and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
 2019 |
Did not participate | ||||||||
 2021 |
Runners-up | 2nd of 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — |
| Total | Best: N/A | 1/2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — |
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Mediterranean Games
More information Mediterranean Games record, Host nation, city and year ...
| Mediterranean Games record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation, city and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
1951–1987 |
See Lebanon national football team | ||||||||
 Athens 1991 |
See Lebanon national under-23 football team | ||||||||
 Languedoc-Roussillon 1993 | |||||||||
 Bari 1997 | |||||||||
| Tunis 2001 |
See Lebanon national under-21 football team | ||||||||
 Almería 2005 |
See Lebanon national under-23 football team | ||||||||
| Pescara 2009 |
Did not participate | ||||||||
| Mersin 2013 | |||||||||
| Tarragona 2018 | |||||||||
| Oran 2022 | |||||||||
| Taranto 2026 |
To be determined | ||||||||
| Total | — | 0/4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Jeux de la Francophonie
More information Jeux de la Francophonie record, Host nation, city and year ...
| Jeux de la Francophonie record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation, city and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| Casablanca 1989 |
Did not participate | ||||||||
| Paris 1994 | |||||||||
 Antananarivo 1997 | |||||||||
| Ottawa 2001 | |||||||||
 Niamey 2005 | |||||||||
| Beirut 2009 |
Group stage | 9th of 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | Squad |
| Nice 2013 |
Group stage | 14 of 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | Squad |
 Abidjan 2017 |
Group stage | 13 of 16 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | Squad |
 Kinshasa 2023 |
Group stage | 8th of 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | Squad |
| Total | Best: group stage | 4/9 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 26 | — |
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2023
Cameroon 
v 
Lebanon
v Lebanon
| 29 July 2023 (2023-07-29) 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie GS | Cameroon | 1–1 | Lebanon | Kinshasa, DR Congo |
| 18:00 UTC+1 |
|
|
Stadium: Stade Tata Raphaël |
Lebanon v 
Niger
v Niger
| 2 August 2023 (2023-08-02) 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie GS | Lebanon | 0–5 | Niger | Kinshasa, DR Congo |
| 15:00 UTC+1 | Stadium: Stade Tata Raphaël |
2024
Lebanon 2-2 United Arab Emirates
Lebanon 0-1 United Arab Emirates
The following players were called up for the 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie.[6]
More information No., Pos. ...
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Joseph Bitar | Salam Zgharta | |||
| 22 | 1GK | William Sinan | Ansar | |||
| 2 | 2DF | Joe Khawaja | Salam Zgharta | |||
| 3 | 2DF | Rawad Al Jaitani | (2005-04-02) 2 April 2005 (age 19) | Salam Zgharta | ||
| 4 | 2DF | Mahmoud Saif Eddin | Ansar | |||
| 5 | 2DF | Ahmed Metayrek | Nejmeh | |||
| 6 | 2DF | Kassem Watfa | Tadamon Sour | |||
| 12 | 2DF | Ryan El Khoury | Salam Zgharta | |||
| 14 | 2DF | Mahdi Asseily | Nejmeh | |||
| 8 | 3MF | Hassan Jaafar | Shabab Sahel | |||
| 11 | 3MF | Ibrahim Mhanna | Nejmeh | |||
| 13 | 3MF | Adam Kobeisy | Ahed | |||
| 15 | 3MF | Miguel Karim Karam | Racing Beirut | |||
| 16 | 3MF | Hassan Salami | Nejmeh | |||
| 18 | 3MF | Hassan Nasser | Ansar | |||
| 7 | 4FW | Uday Al Shamuri | Bourj | |||
| 9 | 4FW | Muhammad Kassas | Nejmeh | |||
| 10 | 4FW | Ali Fakih | Shabab Sahel | |||
| 19 | 4FW | Karim Kassem | Tadamon Sour | |||
| 20 | 4FW | Ali Melhem | Nejmeh | |||
Close
- Morrison, Neil (18 June 2015). "Asian U-19 Championship 1973". RSSSF. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- Zlotkowski, Andre; Di Maggio, Roberto (15 July 2011). "Asian U-20 Championship 2008". RSSSF. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- Al-Hasani, Maytham (1 December 2021). بالصور.. ركلات الترجيح تحفظ لقب غرب آسيا لشباب العراق [In pictures... Penalty kicks save the West Asian title for Iraq's youth team]. Kooora (in Arabic). Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- "DPR Korea v Lebanon" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. 1 November 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
- Mamrud, Roberto (2 May 2022). "Lebanon – Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- بعثة شباب لبنان تغادر إلى كينشاسا فجر الإثنين [The Lebanon U20 delegation leaves for Kinshasa on Monday morning]. Lebanese Football Association (in Arabic). 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.