Iraq–Kuwait football rivalry

Iraq–Kuwait rivalry
Other namesIraq vs Kuwait
LocationAsia (AFC)
West Asia (WAFF)
Teams Iraq
 Kuwait
First meeting13 November 1964
(56 years ago)
Latest meetingIraq 2–2 Kuwait
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
Statistics
Meetings total37
Most winsIraq (17)
Largest victoryIraq 3–0 Kuwait
Asian Games
(18 December 1978)

Iraq's rivalry with Kuwait was once considered the Arab world's greatest football rivalry of all time.[1] It began in the mid-1970s.[2] In August 2, 1990, the rivalry between the two switched from the football field to the battlefield, during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Because of the Gulf War, Iraq and Kuwait were in complete avoidance and never met for more than a decade. Iraq and Kuwait have played 37 matches against each other with 17 victories for Iraq, 10 draws, and 10 victories for Kuwait.

Major tournament matches

1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification

Iraq 1–1 Kuwait
Aziz 15' Bu Hamad
Penalties
3–4

1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification

Iraq 1–0 Kuwait
Nouri 90+4'

1976 AFC Asian Cup

Kuwait 3–2 (a.e.t.) Iraq
Ibrahim 11'
Kameel 77', 100'		 Abdul-Jalil 46'
Hassan 85'
Attendance: 60,000

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Kuwait 0–0 Iraq

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Iraq 2–2 Kuwait

Matches

Source:[3]
# Date Competition Home team Score Away team Goals (home) Goals (away) Venue
1 13 November 1964 1964 Arab Nations Cup Kuwait  0–1  Iraq Ismail 60' Kuwait Kuwait City
2 4 April 1966 1966 Arab Nations Cup Iraq  3–1  Kuwait Yousif , Dhiab , Atta Iraq Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
3 28 January 1971 Friendly Iraq  2–0  Kuwait Hajim , Kadhim Iraq Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
4 19 November 1971 Friendly Iraq  3–1  Kuwait Nouri 1', Aziz 75', Nouri 76' Iraq Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
5 10 December 1971 1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification Iraq  1–1  Kuwait Aziz 15' Bu Hamad Kuwait Kuwait City
6 24 December 1971 Iraq  1–0  Kuwait Nouri 90+4' Kuwait Kuwait City
7 7 January 1972 1972 Palestine Cup Iraq  3–1  Kuwait Yousif , Kadhim , Hatim Iraq Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
8 20 August 1975 1976 Olympic qualification[a] Kuwait  1–2  Iraq Kadhim 29', 58' Iran Tehran
9 8 April 1976 1976 Gulf Cup Kuwait  2–2  Iraq Abdul-Jalil 46', Kadhim 49' Qatar Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha
10 15 April 1976 Kuwait  4–2  Iraq Subhi 9', 50' Qatar Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha
11 11 June 1976 1976 AFC Asian Cup Kuwait  3–2  Iraq Ibrahim 11', Kameel 77', 100' Abdul-Jalil 46', Hassan 85' Iran Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran
12 18 December 1978 1978 Asian Games Iraq  3–0  Kuwait Mahmoud 40', Saeed 55', Abdul-Sahib 85' Thailand Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
13 29 March 1979 1979 Gulf Cup Iraq  3–1  Kuwait Hassan 9', Ahmed 47', Abdul-Sahib 90' Juma'a 75' Iraq Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
14 9 November 1982 Friendly Kuwait  1–0  Iraq Kuwait Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City
15 26 November 1982 1982 Asian Games Iraq  1–2  Kuwait Hussein 73' Al-Suwayed 35', Al-Anberi 37' India Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi
16 4 December 1982 Kuwait  0–1  Iraq Saeed 82' India Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi
17 22 March 1984 1984 Gulf Cup Iraq  3–1  Kuwait Saeed 47', 75', Allawi 80' Fulaiteh 59' Oman Royal Oman Police Stadium, Muscat
18 3 April 1986 1986 Gulf Cup Iraq  1–2  Kuwait Jassim 74' Bahrain Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
19 21 February 1987 Friendly Kuwait  2–0  Iraq Kuwait Al-Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City
20 18 December 1987 1988 Olympic qualification[a] Kuwait  2–1  Iraq Suleiman 6', Al-Hajiri 22' Karim Allawi 65' Kuwait Al-Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City
21 8 March 1988 1988 Gulf Cup Iraq  1–0  Kuwait Radhi 39' Saudi Arabia King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh
22 15 October 1989 Friendly Iraq  1–0  Kuwait Hashim 60' Iraq Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
23 8 November 1989 1989 Peace and Friendship Cup Iraq  2–1  Kuwait Radhi 26', 90' Al-Saleh 70' Kuwait Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City
24 28 February 1990 1990 Gulf Cup Iraq  1–1  Kuwait Hussein 15' Al-Hadad 48' Kuwait Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City
25 26 November 2005 Friendly Kuwait  0–0  Iraq Kuwait Peace & Friendship Stadium, Kuwait City
26 21 March 2008 Friendly Kuwait  0–0  Iraq Kuwait Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City
27 10 January 2009 2009 Gulf Cup Iraq  1–1  Kuwait Abdul-Zahra 66' Khalaf 37' Oman Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat
28 17 November 2010 Friendly Iraq  1–1  Kuwait Mahmoud 45' United Arab Emirates Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah
29 2 December 2010 2010 Gulf Cup Kuwait  2–2 (a.e.t.)[b]  Iraq Al-Mutawa 1', Al-Enezi 58' Hawar 6', Abdul-Zahra 14' Yemen May 22 Stadium, Aden
30 29 March 2011 Friendly Kuwait  1–0  Iraq Al-Musawi 2' Yemen May 22 Stadium, Aden
31 13 July 2011 Friendly Iraq  0–2  Kuwait Al-Fadhli 66', Al-Fadhel 84' Jordan Amman International Stadium, Amman
32 9 January 2013 2013 Gulf Cup Iraq  1–0  Kuwait Ahmad 29' Bahrain Khalifa Sports City Stadium, Isa Town
33 14 November 2014 2014 Gulf Cup Iraq  0–1  Kuwait Al Enezi 90+2' Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
34 22 December 2014 Friendly Iraq  1–1  Kuwait Mahmoud 85' (pen.) Ali Maqseed 45' (pen.) United Arab Emirates Al-Rashid Stadium, Dubai
35 10 September 2018 Friendly Kuwait  2–2  Iraq Mhawi 46' (o.g.), Al Hajri 77' M. Ali 5', Faez 65' Kuwait Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City
36 27 January 2021 Friendly Iraq  2–1  Kuwait Dawood 79', Hussein 89' (pen.) Al-Rasheedi 22' Iraq Basra International Stadium, Basra
37 30 December 2022 Friendly Iraq  1–0  Kuwait Faez 9' Iraq Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium, Basra
38 11 September 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Kuwait  0–0  Iraq Kuwait Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City
39 20 March 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Iraq  2–2  Kuwait Hashim 90+3', Bayesh 90+11' Nasser 39', 70' Iraq Basra International Stadium, Basra
  1. ^ a b Not a full FIFA international
  2. ^ Kuwait won on penalties.

Statistics

Matches held in Iraq 8
Matches held in neutral venue 18
Matches held in Kuwait 12
Total matches 38
Matches won by Iraq 17
Matches won by Kuwait 10
Goals scored by Iraq 54
Goals scored by Kuwait 43

See also

References

  1. ^ "Storied Gulf Cup rivalry between Iraq and Kuwait survives war". The National. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  2. ^ KHALED, ALI. "Kuwait's crowning glory turns into a nightmare at Spain 1982 World Cup". Arab news. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Iraq national football team: record v Kuwait". www.11v11.com.
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