Palestine national football team

Palestine
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)أُسُودُ كَنعَان (Lions of Canaan)
الْفَدَائِي (The Fedayeen)
الْفُرْسَان (The Knights)
AssociationPalestinian Football Association
(الإتِّحَادُ الْفِلَسْطِيْنِيّ لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationWAFF (West Asia)
Head coachMakram Daboub
CaptainMusab Al-Battat
Most capsAbdelatif Bahdari (82)
Top scorerOday Dabbagh (17)
Home stadiumFaisal Al-Husseini International Stadium
FIFA codePLE
First colours
Second colours
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FIFA ranking
Current 96 Decrease 1 (18 July 2024)[1]
Highest73 (February – March 2018)
Lowest191 (April – August 1999)
First international
 Egypt 5–0 Mandatory Palestine 
(Cairo, Egypt; 4 April 1930)

Biggest win
 Palestine 11–0 Guam 
(Dhaka, Bangladesh; 1 April 2006)
Biggest defeat
 Lebanon 9–1 Palestine 
(Alexandria, Egypt; 8 August 1953)
Asian Cup
Appearances4 (first in 2015)
Best resultRound of 16 (2023)
AFC Challenge Cup
Appearances3 (first in 2006)
Best resultChampions (2014)
WAFF Championship
Appearances10 (first in 2000)
Best resultGroup stage (7 times)

The Palestine national football team (Arabic: منتخب فِلَسطِيْن لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم), governed by the Palestinian Football Association, represents Palestine in association football. The squad is governed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) continentally, and FIFA worldwide.

A football federation in Mandatory Palestine was founded in 1928. The national team was not recognized by FIFA until 1998, after the creation of the Palestinian National Authority. The same year, Palestine played their first FIFA-recognized match in a 3–1 defeat to Lebanon in a friendly. The team has won the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup, thanks to a 1–0 win over the Philippines in the final. Their win in the competition qualified them to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, marking their first appearance in the competition. Palestine also qualified to the following edition of the Asian Cup in 2019, their first through regular qualification. They have yet to qualify for the World Cup.

The Palestinian team is known by various nicknames: "Lions of Canaan" (Arabic: أُسُودُ كَنعَان), "the Fedayoon" (Arabic: الْفَدَائِيُّون), "the Knights" (Arabic: الْفُرْسَان). Their main colours are red and white. The team reached an all-time high position of 73rd in the FIFA ranking in February 2018 after going on a 12-match unbeaten streak, from 29 March 2016 to 22 March 2018. Palestine's main venue is the Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in Al-Ram, although they have been forced to play in neutral stadiums for home matches on numerous occasions.

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.

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