Iraq–Kuwait football rivalry

Iraq–Kuwait rivalry

Other names	Iraq vs Kuwait
Location	Asia (AFC) West Asia (WAFF)
Teams	Iraq   Kuwait
First meeting	13 November 1964 (56 years ago)
Latest meeting	Iraq 0–0 Kuwait 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
Statistics
Meetings total	37
Most wins	Iraq (17)
Largest victory	Iraq 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

10 December 1971

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

Kuwait

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1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification

24 December 1971

Iraq	1–0	Kuwait
Nouri 90+4'

Kuwait

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1976 AFC Asian Cup

11 June 1976

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

Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran

Attendance: 60,000

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2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

10 September 2024

Kuwait	0–0	Iraq

Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City

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2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

20 March 2025

Iraq	v	Kuwait

Basra International Stadium, Basra

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 City
2	4 April 1966	1966 Arab Nations Cup	Iraq	3–1	Kuwait	Yousif , Dhiab , Atta		Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
3	28 January 1971	Friendly	Iraq	2–0	Kuwait	Hajim , Kadhim		Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
4	19 November 1971	Friendly	Iraq	3–1	Kuwait	Nouri 1', Aziz 75', Nouri 76'		Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
5	10 December 1971	1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Iraq	1–1	Kuwait	Aziz 15'	Bu Hamad	Kuwait City
6	24 December 1971		Iraq	1–0	Kuwait	Nouri 90+4'		Kuwait City
7	7 January 1972	1972 Palestine Cup	Iraq	3–1	Kuwait	Yousif , Kadhim , Hatim		Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
8	20 August 1975	1976 Olympic qualification [a]	Kuwait	1–2	Iraq		Kadhim 29', 58'	Tehran
9	8 April 1976	1976 Gulf Cup	Kuwait	2–2	Iraq		Abdul-Jalil 46', Kadhim 49'	Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha
10	15 April 1976		Kuwait	4–2	Iraq		Subhi 9', 50'	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'	Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran
12	18 December 1978	1978 Asian Games	Iraq	3–0	Kuwait	Mahmoud 40', Saeed 55', Abdul-Sahib 85'		Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
13	29 March 1979	1979 Gulf Cup	Iraq	3–1	Kuwait	Hassan 9', Ahmed 47', Abdul-Sahib 90'	Juma'a 75'	Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
14	9 November 1982	Friendly	Kuwait	1–0	Iraq			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'	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi
16	4 December 1982		Kuwait	0–1	Iraq		Saeed 82'	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi
17	22 March 1984	1984 Gulf Cup	Iraq	3–1	Kuwait	Saeed 47', 75', Allawi 80'	Fulaiteh 59'	Royal Oman Police Stadium, Muscat
18	3 April 1986	1986 Gulf Cup	Iraq	1–2	Kuwait	Jassim 74'		Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
19	21 February 1987	Friendly	Kuwait	2–0	Iraq			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'	Al-Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City
21	8 March 1988	1988 Gulf Cup	Iraq	1–0	Kuwait	Radhi 39'		King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh
22	15 October 1989	Friendly	Iraq	1–0	Kuwait	Hashim 60'		Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
23	8 November 1989	1989 Peace and Friendship Cup	Iraq	2–1	Kuwait	Radhi 26', 90'	Al-Saleh 70'	Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City
24	28 February 1990	1990 Gulf Cup	Iraq	1–1	Kuwait	Hussein 15'	Al-Hadad 48'	Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City
25	26 November 2005	Friendly	Kuwait	0–0	Iraq			Peace & Friendship Stadium, Kuwait City
26	21 March 2008	Friendly	Kuwait	0–0	Iraq			Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City
27	10 January 2009	2009 Gulf Cup	Iraq	1–1	Kuwait	Abdul-Zahra 66'	Khalaf 37'	Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat
28	17 November 2010	Friendly	Iraq	1–1	Kuwait	Mahmoud 45'		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'	May 22 Stadium, Aden
30	29 March 2011	Friendly	Kuwait	1–0	Iraq			May 22 Stadium, Aden
31	13 July 2011	Friendly	Iraq	0–2	Kuwait		Al-Fadhli 66', Al-Fadhel 84'	Amman International Stadium, Amman
32	9 January 2013	2013 Gulf Cup	Iraq	1–0	Kuwait	Ahmad 29'		Khalifa Sports City Stadium, Isa Town
33	14 November 2014	2014 Gulf Cup	Iraq	0–1	Kuwait		Al Enezi 90+2'	Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
34	22 December 2014	Friendly	Iraq	1–1	Kuwait	Mahmoud 85' (pen.)	Ali Maqseed 45' (pen.)	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'	Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City
36	27 January 2021	Friendly	Iraq	2–1	Kuwait	Dawood 79', Hussein 89' (pen.)	Al-Rasheedi 22'	Basra International Stadium, Basra
37	30 December 2022	Friendly	Iraq	1–0	Kuwait	Faez 9'		Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium, Basra
38	11 September 2024	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Kuwait	0–0	Iraq			Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City

1. 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

• Iran–Iraq football rivalry
• Iraq–Saudi Arabia football rivalry

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.