Kuwait

Kuwait's first international match was played in the 1961 Arab Games against Libya, which ended in a 2–2 draw. Their biggest loss was against the United Arab Republic, when they lost 8–0 in the same tournament. Kuwait hosted the 1974 Gulf Cup at Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, collecting their third consecutive title in the cup. They won the Asian Cup in 1980. 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 draw with Czechoslovakia. Kuwait's highest ever 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 successful 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 margin of victory in international football until Australia won 31–0 against American Samoa in 2001. Kuwait's most successful years were between 1970 and 1990, which saw players like Jasem Yaqoub, Faisal Al-Dakhil, and Saad Al-Houti play for the team.

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 had a profound and devastating impact on the Kuwaiti national football team. During the occupation, sports activities were severely disrupted as many athletes, including football players, were displaced or went into exile. The Kuwait Football Association's headquarters and facilities were damaged, leading to the suspension of all football competitions in the country. Consequently, the national team was unable to participate in the 1990 Asian Games and the 1992 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. This disruption hindered the development of football in Kuwait, as resources were diverted to rebuilding the nation.

Kuwait's football league, the Kuwaiti Premier League, was also suspended, causing a significant loss of competitive match experience for players. Many training facilities and stadiums were damaged or repurposed for military use during the invasion, which further hampered the team's preparations and development. Additionally, financial constraints post-invasion led to reduced funding for sports, affecting the quality of training and support available to athletes.

Despite these challenges, the team made a notable comeback in subsequent years. In 1994, Kuwait won the Arabian Gulf Cup, showcasing their resilience and ability to recover from the invasion's setbacks. The national team also qualified for the 1996 AFC Asian Cup, advancing to the quarter-finals, which was a significant achievement given the circumstances. The invasion's long-term effects were felt across the sporting community, highlighting the resilience and determination of Kuwaiti athletes and officials in rebuilding their footballing legacy post-occupation.

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. The ban lasted less than 2 weeks. 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. FIFA provisionally lifted its suspension on the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) on 22 December 2008.

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. Kuwait tried to get the suspension lifted at the 66th FIFA Congress but was rejected. Therefore, from the earlier announcement on 27 April 2016, the hosting of the Gulf Cup tournament would also be moved to Qatar. The suspension was eventually lifted on 6 December 2017, after Kuwait adopted a new sports law. 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.

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 had all withdrawn. The tournament was previously set to be hosted by Qatar but, because of the Qatari diplomatic crisis, it was moved to Kuwait and the withdrawn nations joined again.

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 Australia, Jordan, Nepal, and Chinese Taipei. Evidently, Kuwait was quite impacted by its suspensions and instabilities as the team lost 0–3 twice. Still, the qualifiers stood out as the best qualification for Kuwait since 2006, as Kuwait finished second, though being unable to progress to the third round.

In June 2022, Kuwait became the host for the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. 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 it finished as runner-up, losing to India during a penalty shootout in the final.

In June 2024, Kuwait qualified for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, after 9 years of not qualifying, and advanced into the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifications.

The Kuwait Football Association board resigned after chaotic scenes at a World Cup qualifier against Iraq on September 17, 2024, where fans suffered in extreme heat and some ticket holders were denied entry. The FA launched an inquiry and has since accepted the resignations of several key officials. The match ended in a goalless draw, leaving Kuwait in fourth place in their World Cup qualifying group.