# Bahrain national football team

The Bahrain national football team (Arabic: منتخب الْبَحرَيْن لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم) represents Bahrain in international football and is controlled by the Bahrain Football Association, which was founded in 1951 and joined FIFA in 1966. They have never reached the World Cup, but have twice come within one match of doing so. Bahrain won the FIFA's most improved team award in 2004, and finished fourth in the 2004 Asian Cup, beating Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals but losing to Japan in the semi-finals 4–3. Bahrain then lost to Iran in the third-place match, thus finishing in fourth place overall. Bahrain had a golden year in 2019, winning both the WAFF Championship and the Arabian Gulf Cup for the first time, under the stewardship of Hélio Sousa.
On 4th January 2025, Bahrain won the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup, defeating Oman 2-1 in a thrilling final match.

## History
### Early years

Even though the first national team was founded in 1959, Bahraini team was only first officially assembled in 1966 when they played a friendly game against Kuwait that was drawn 4–4. At that time, despite being under British rule, Bahrain was given autonomy and they had utilized this opportunity to expand its football development. Nonetheless, Bahrain was regarded as a weaker side in the Gulf Arab region, which constituted the stronger Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and Kuwait. For this reason, Bahrain's international feat had been mostly limited in the Arabian Gulf Cup.
In 1988, Bahrain qualified for its first ever AFC Asian Cup, but finished bottom with only two draws in the 1988 AFC Asian Cup. Since then, Bahraini side remained neglected and less invested, despite its youth successes at the U-17 and U-20. Only by the end of the 20th century, Bahrain began to really emerge and would change the country's football history.

### Rise

Bahrain managed a fine performance during 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification and 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification, the latter was the first time Bahrain reached the final round. Despite being unable to reach either of them, Bahrain managed one of their greatest football feats, by beating Iran in both qualifications 1–0 in Damascus in 2000 Asian Cup run, and 3–1 at home in 2002 World Cup run, which remains one of the most embarrassing defeats for Iranian football. This win, though mean less for Bahrain, did manage to pull Iran out from reaching a direct World Cup ticket and helped Saudi Arabia to qualify for 2002 FIFA World Cup, Iran later failed to qualify; Bahraini fans waved the Saudi flag as a response to this win, fueling tensions between Bahrain and Iran.

#### 2004 Asian Cup

The form of Bahrain in 2004 AFC Asian Cup was a complete stunning for many. In their just second appearance, Bahrain was drawn with mighty host China, neighbor Qatar and Southeast Asia's finest Indonesia. However, Bahrain went on undefeated at the group stage, including a famous 2–2 draw to China in Beijing, 1–1 to Qatar before trashed Indonesia 3–1 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time. Then, Bahrain overcame Uzbekistan on penalty shootout in the quarter-finals, having been held 2–2. Bahrain put up another astonishing performance against defending champions Japan, only lost 3–4 after extra time, before losing 2–4 to Iran in the third place game. This tournament would mark the rise of Bahrain as a serious competitor for football in Asia.

#### 2006 World Cup

After Uzbekistan and Bahrain both finished third in their respective groups during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, Bahrain entered a two-legged playoff with Uzbekistan, which they won on away goals with an aggregate score of 1–1. This allowed Bahrain to enter another two-legged playoff with the fourth-placed CONCACAF nation, (Trinidad and Tobago), for a spot in the World Cup. But a 0–1 Bahrain loss in Manama after a 1–1 draw in Port of Spain saw the CONCACAF nation go through as debutant.
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification - AFC fourth round play-offs :
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Uzbekistan | 1–1 (a) | Bahrain | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC – CONCACAF play-off) play-offs |||||
| Bahrain | 1–2 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1–1 | 0–1 |

#### 2007 Asian Cup

Bahrain played in group D in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification group games. Bahrain fielded a side which was essentially the Olympic (under 23) team against Australia, and they lost 2–0. Bahrain qualified for the 2007 Asian Cup after defeating Kuwait in their last match. Bahrain were knocked out in the group stage via two losses against Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, despite a shock win against Korea Republic.

#### 2010 World Cup

In the third round of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Bahrain were drawn into group B along with Japan, Oman, and Thailand. They finished second overall to qualify to the final round, in which Bahrain finished third overall in their group, below Australia and Japan, but above Uzbekistan and Qatar. In the second leg of the playoff against Saudi Arabia to decide Asia's fifth best team, Bahrain drew 2–2 with Saudi Arabia after scoring in stoppage time which allowed them to go through on away goals, after drawing their home leg 0–0. They went on to play New Zealand in the final playoff in which a victory would qualify them for the World Cup, but after a goalless draw in Manama on 10 October 2009, Bahrain lost the return leg 1–0 in Wellington on 14 November 2009, missing out on qualification at the last hurdle for the second time running.
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC fifth round play-offs :
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Bahrain | (a) 2–2 | Saudi Arabia | 0–0 | 2–2 |
| AFC 5th place v OFC winner play-offs |||||
| Bahrain | 0–1 | New Zealand | 0–0 | 0–1 |

### Crisis period
#### 2011 Asian Cup

Bahrain qualified for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup held in neighbouring Qatar, and was drawn in a tough group composing Australia, South Korea and India. Bahrain faced its first task to overcome South Korea, with the hope to repeat the surprise 2–1 victory of the 2007 edition, but South Korea turned the deficit to beat Bahrain with the same score. After the loss, Bahrain cruised past India in a seven-goal party, Bahrain scored five to keep its hope alive; but its campaign ended in vain when they lost to Australia 0–1 and was dismissed from the group stages.

#### 2014 World Cup

In the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Bahrain did considerably worse. In the third round, they were drawn against Indonesia, Iran and Qatar. Although they managed to defeat Indonesia both home and away, they also lost 6–0 by Iran away from home, and drew their other 3 games. Although they had a higher goal difference than Qatar, they needed an extra point to advance to the next round, or Qatar had to be beaten by Iran in the final round. If they had also drawn to Iran away from home, they would have advanced. But neither luck came to them, and their campaign ended in the third round, their worst result since the 1998 World Cup qualifiers.
| Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | |
| Iran | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 5 | +12 | 12 | Fourth round | — | 2–2 | 6–0 | 3–0 |
| Qatar | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 10 | Fourth round | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 4–0 |
| Bahrain | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 9 | | 1–1 | 0–0 | — | 10–0 |
| Indonesia | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 26 | −23 | 0 | | 1–4 | 2–3 | 0–2 | — |

#### 2015 Asian Cup

The 2015 AFC Asian Cup once again became a disappointment for the Bahrainis, even though their group was easier, with only Iran being the biggest opponent while the UAE and Qatar were no strangers. Bahrain lost two opening games against Iran and the UAE 0–2 and 1–2, the latter defeat was subject to the earliest goal in Asian Cup history by Ali Mabkhout. Bahrain salvaged some pride with a 2–1 win over Qatar, condemning its neighbour to bottom of the group while Bahrain finished third for the second consecutive Asian Cup.

#### 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup qualifications

In the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers second round, Bahrain finished fourth in a group with Uzbekistan, North Korea, Philippines and Yemen. The poor performance of the Bahraini side caused huge public uproar over the team's ongoing decline, rocked the chair of manager Sergio Batista. He was eventually sacked and replaced by Czech youth coach Miroslav Soukup, who decided to revamp the team.
Later on, Bahrain participated in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification, where finished first in the third round in a group with Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei and Singapore, to qualify to the next AFC Asian Cup. However, the team's performance was far from perfect. The team suffered a home draw to minnows Singapore, before getting humiliated by Chinese Taipei away 1–2 that was considered as a shock, since Taiwan is not a football nation. This defeat also prompted Bahrain's main star, Ismail Abdullatif, to retire from the team.
Bahrain managed some promising performance during this deteriorating era, reaching semi-finals of the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup held in Kuwait.

### Short-lived glory
#### 2019: Asian Cup; WAFF Championship and Gulf Cup champions

At the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Bahrain was grouped with India, Thailand and hosts United Arab Emirates. The Bahrainis managed a promising early performance when they faced the hosts, scored a goal lead in 78', but was eventually held 1–1 following an unclear penalty decision by the Jordanian referee Adham Makhadmeh. However, Bahrain suffered a blasting loss to Thailand 0–1, leaving the team flounder despite its earlier performance. In the final match against India, which the Indians only required a draw to progress, Bahrain however managed to get a needed penalty in injury time, where Jamal Rashid turned hero as Bahrain won the fixture 1–0 to seal the team into the knockout stage for the only second times ever, and eliminated the Indians from the competition. The Bahraini side then played its own round of sixteen match, where they lost 2–1 to South Korea after extra time. This was considered as a major success for Bahraini football, and also to be the end of the country's football misfortune that endured since 2010s.
Afterwards, Bahrain managed to win two competitions for the first time, after defeating both Iraq and Saudi Arabia, 1–0 under the leadership of Hélio Sousa against all odds, in the WAFF Championship and Gulf Cup respectively.

#### 2022 World Cup

Bahrain defeated Iran 1–0 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualification Round 2, delivering a major upset in the qualifying process, and with Bahrain enjoying huge edge in the qualifiers, Bahrain was expected to reach the third round. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, Bahrain's great progression in 2019 was reversed when it lost significant home supports (despite being designated as hosts for the remaining games) due to pandemic, as fans were barred from attending, Iran having replaced manager as well, combining the Bahrain's domestic league under frequent disruption due to the pandemic, all left Bahraini players little time to organise their team. Bahrain triumphed against Cambodia 8–0 in their first game since the pandemic began, but against an Iranian side that was entirely revamped, a Bahraini side without home support was completely demoralised, losing 0–3 in process. This defeat proved to be disastrous for Bahrain, as their 4–0 victory over Hong Kong was too little, too late, due to Iran prevailing 1–0 over Iraq in the final game.

#### 2023 Asian cup

In the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Bahrain won their group (which contained Malaysia, South Korea, and Jordan). After a first matchday loss to South Korea, they followed it up with back-to-back wins, before falling to Japan in the Round of 16.

## Team image
### Rivalries
#### Qatar

Bahrain has a major rivalry against Qatar due to historical tension between the two countries. Through 39 matches played between the teams, Bahrain has an overall positive performance against Qatar, winning eleven matches, lost eight matches while nineteen matches ended in a draw.

### Kit providers

| Manufacturer | Period |
| Umbro | 1981 |
| Puma | 1982 |
| Grand Sport | 1983–1986 |
| Faisok | 1986 |
| Grand Sport | 1987–1996 |
| Puma | 1997 |
| Baraka | 1998–1999 |
| Kika | 2000–2002 |
| Shoot | 2002–2003 |
| Diadora | 2003–2005 |
| Puma | 2005–2014 |
| Romai | 2014–2018 |
| Macron | 2019–2022 |
| Puma | 2023–present |

## Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win  Draw  Loss  Fixture

### 2025
## Current staff

| Role | Name |
| Head coach | Dragan Talajić |
| Assistant coach | Goran Lacković |
| Assistant coach | Ahmed Kamal |

### Coaching history

    As of March 2019
Caretaker managers are listed in italics.
* Jassim Al-Maawada and Abdul-Salam Alam (1966)
* Hamada El-Sharqawi (1970–1974)
* Danny McLennan (1974–1975)
* Adnan Ayoub and Khalifa AlHamdan (1975)
* Jack Mansell (1976)
* Mal Thompson and Michael Gorman (1979)
* Ljubiša Broćić (1979–1981)
* Farouq Ahmed Ali (1981)
* Sebastião Pereira de Araújo (1982–1984, 1992–1993)
* Keith Burkinshaw (1984–1986)
* Robbie Stepney (1986–1987)
* Abdelmajid Chetali (1988)
* Mohamed Al-Arabi Al-Zouaui (1988)
* Uli Maslo (1990–1992)
* Faisal Alshehabı (2007)
* Ivan Čabrinović (1994)
* Victor Stănculescu (1995–1996)
* Fuad Boshqar (1996)
* Josef Hickersberger (1997)
* Ernesto Rosa Guedes (1998)
* Alexandru Moldovan (1999)
* Ahmed D. Al Jalahama (2000)
* Wolfgang Sidka (2001–2002, 2005)
* Yves Herbet (2003)
* Srećko Juričić (2003–2005)
* Luka Peruzović (2005–2006)
* Riyadh Al-Thawadi (2006)
* Hans-Peter Briegel (2006–2007)
* Senad Kreso (2007)
* Milan Máčala (2008–2010)
* Josef Hickersberger (2010)
* Marjan Eid (2010)
* Salman Sharida (2010–2011)
* Peter Taylor (2011–2012)
* Gabriel Calderón (2012–2013)
* Anthony Hudson (2013–2014)
* Adnan Hamad (2014)
* Marjan Eid (2014–2015)
* Sergio Batista (2015–2016)
* Miroslav Soukup (2016–2019)
* Hélio Sousa (2019–2023)
* Juan Antonio Pizzi (2023–2024)
* Dragan Talajić (2024– )

## Players
### Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games against Japan and Indonesia in March 2025.
    Caps and goals correct as of 4 January 2025, after the match against Oman.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1GK | Sayed Mohammed Jaffer | (1985-08-25) 25 August 1985 (age 39) | 163 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
| 1GK | Ebrahim Lutfalla | (1992-09-24) 24 September 1992 (age 32) | 30 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
| 1GK | Abdulkarim Fardan | (1992-04-25) 25 April 1992 (age 32) | 1 | 0 | Al-Riffa |
| 2DF | Waleed Al Hayam | (1988-11-04) 4 November 1988 (age 36) | 121 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
| 2DF | Sayed Baqer | (1994-04-14) 14 April 1994 (age 30) | 40 | 2 | Al-Riffa |
| 2DF | Amine Benaddi | (1993-05-09) 9 May 1993 (age 31) | 34 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
| 2DF | Hamad Al-Shamsan | (1997-09-29) 29 September 1997 (age 27) | 30 | 0 | Al-Riffa |
| 2DF | Ahmed Bughammar | (1997-12-30) 30 December 1997 (age 27) | 26 | 1 | Al-Khaldiya |
| 2DF | Abdulla Al-Khulasi | (2003-09-02) 2 September 2003 (age 21) | 17 | 1 | Al-Muharraq |
| 2DF | Hazza Ali | (1995-06-09) 9 June 1995 (age 29) | 13 | 0 | Al-Riffa |
| 2DF | Vincent Emmanuel | (2001-04-29) 29 April 2001 (age 23) | 8 | 0 | Sitra Club |
| 3MF | Sayed Dhiya Saeed | (1992-07-17) 17 July 1992 (age 32) | 124 | 8 | Al-Khaldiya |
| 3MF | Kamil Al-Aswad (captain) | (1994-04-08) 8 April 1994 (age 30) | 115 | 13 | Al-Arabi |
| 3MF | Ali Madan | (1995-11-30) 30 November 1995 (age 29) | 98 | 15 | Ajman |
| 3MF | Mohamed Marhoon | (1998-02-12) 12 February 1998 (age 27) | 74 | 19 | Kuwait SC |
| 3MF | Mahdi Al-Humaidan | (1993-05-19) 19 May 1993 (age 31) | 69 | 7 | Al-Khaldiya |
| 3MF | Jasim Al-Shaikh | (1996-02-01) 1 February 1996 (age 29) | 67 | 4 | Al-Riffa |
| 3MF | Ali Haram | (1988-12-11) 11 December 1988 (age 36) | 58 | 5 | Al-Riffa |
| 3MF | Ebrahim Al-Khattal | (2000-09-19) 19 September 2000 (age 24) | 27 | 4 | Manama |
| 3MF | Ahmed Al-Sherooqi | (2000-05-22) 22 May 2000 (age 24) | 8 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |
| 3MF | Hussain Al-Eker | (2001-09-30) 30 September 2001 (age 23) | 2 | 0 | Al-Riffa |
| 3MF | Sayed Al-Wadaei | (2008-07-08) 8 July 2008 (age 16) | 1 | 0 | Villarreal Youth |
| 4FW | Ismail Abdullatif | (1986-09-11) 11 September 1986 (age 38) | 135 | 48 | Al-Khaldiya |
| 4FW | Mohamed Al-Romaihi | (1990-09-09) 9 September 1990 (age 34) | 51 | 17 | Al-Khaldiya |
| 4FW | Mahdi Abduljabbar | (1991-06-25) 25 June 1991 (age 33) | 42 | 13 | Al-Khaldiya |
| 4FW | Husain Abdulkarim | (2002-05-14) 14 May 2002 (age 22) | 6 | 0 | Al-Muharraq |

### Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
| GK | Ammar Mohamed | (1999-02-10) 10 February 1999 (age 26) | 3 | 0 | Al-Khaldiya | 26th Arabian Gulf Cup |
| DF | Mohamed Adel | (1996-09-20) 20 September 1996 (age 28) | 38 | 0 | Al-Khaldiya | 26th Arabian Gulf Cup |
| DF | Ahmed Nabeel | (1995-08-25) 25 August 1995 (age 29) | 11 | 0 | Manama Club | v. Australia, 19 November 2024 |
| DF | Mohamed Al-Banna | (1989-10-17) 17 October 1989 (age 35) | 2 | 0 | Al-Muharraq | v. Yemen, 6 June 2024 |
| MF | Hasan Al-Karrani | (1997-11-27) 27 November 1997 (age 27) | 2 | 0 | Al-Muharraq | v. Nepal, 26 March 2024 |
| MF | Abdulwahab Al-Malood | (1990-06-07) 7 June 1990 (age 34) | 86 | 5 | Al-Muharraq | 26th Arabian Gulf Cup |
| MF | Abbas Al-Asfoor | (1999-02-02) 2 February 1999 (age 26) | 16 | 0 | Al-Ahli | 26th Arabian Gulf Cup |
| MF | Moses Atede | (1997-12-17) 17 December 1997 (age 27) | 8 | 0 | Kuching City | v. Australia, 19 November 2024 |
| MF | Sayed Sharaf | (2002-12-23) 23 December 2002 (age 22) | 0 | 0 | Al-Ahli | v. Saudi Arabia, 15 October 2024 |
| MF | Mohamed Al-Hardan | (1997-10-06) 6 October 1997 (age 27) | 29 | 2 | Al-Muharraq | v. Nepal, 26 March 2024 |
| FW | Hashim Sayed Isa | (1998-04-03) 3 April 1998 (age 26) | 19 | 6 | Al-Riffa | v. Saudi Arabia, 15 October 2024 |
| FW | Abdulla Yusuf Helal | (1993-06-12) 12 June 1993 (age 31) | 90 | 13 | Bohemians 1905 | v. United Arab Emirates, 11 June 2024 |
| $^{INJ}$ Withdrew due to injury $^{PRE}$ Preliminary squad / standby $^{RET}$ Retired from the national team $^{SUS}$ Serving suspension $^{WD}$ Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue. |||||||

## Records

    As of 4 January 2025
    Players in bold are still active with Bahrain.

### Most appearances

| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
| 1 | Sayed Mohammed Jaffer | 162 | 0 | 2004–present |
| 2 | Mohamed Husain | 161 | 10 | 1997–2015 |
| 3 | Salman Isa | 160 | 24 | 2000–2012 |
| 4 | Mohamed Salmeen | 146 | 10 | 2000–2013 |
| 5 | Ismail Abdullatif | 135 | 48 | 2005–present |
| 6 | Sayed Mahmood Jalal | 125 | 6 | 1998–2010 |
| 7 | Hussain Ali Baba | 124 | 8 | 2001–2016 |
| 8 | Talal Yousef | 118 | 28 | 2001–2016 |
| 9 | Sayed Dhiya Saeed | 117 | 8 | 2011–present |
| 10 | Waleed Al-Hayam | 116 | 0 | 2010–present |

### Top goalscorers

| Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
| 1 | Ismail Abdullatif | 48 | 135 | 0.36 | 2005–present |
| 2 | Husain Ali | 33 | 115 | 0.29 | 1998–2013 |
| 3 | Talal Yousef | 28 | 118 | 0.24 | 1998–2009 |
| 4 | A'ala Hubail | 26 | 88 | 0.3 | 2003–2009 |
| 5 | Salman Isa | 24 | 160 | 0.15 | 2001–2012 |
| 6 | Faouzi Aaish | 20 | 104 | 0.19 | 2004–2016 |
| 7 | Mohamed Marhoon | 19 | 74 | 0.26 | 2018–present |
| 8 | Mohamed Al-Romaihi | 17 | 52 | 0.33 | 2010–present |
| 9 | Ali Madan | 15 | 99 | 0.15 | 2016–present |
| 10 | Mahdi Abduljabbar | 13 | 42 | 0.31 | 2016–present |
| 10 | Abdulla Yusuf Helal | 13 | 90 | 0.14 | 2015–present |
| 10 | Kamil Al-Aswad | 13 | 115 | 0.11 | 2015–present |

## Competitive record
### FIFA World Cup

| FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | FIFA World Cup qualification record |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1930 to 1954 | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom |
| 1958 to 1966 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member |
| 1970 and 1974 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 1982 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 1986 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
| 1990 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1994 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 6 |
| 1998 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 2002 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 13 |
| 2006 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 14 |
| 2010 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 20 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 17 |
| 2014 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 |
| 2018 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 10 |
| 2022 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 4 |
| 2026 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 8 |
| 2030 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2034 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | − | 0/14 | − | − | − | − | − | − | 104 | 39 | 30 | 35 | 132 | 106 |

### AFC Asian Cup

| AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1956 | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom |
| 1960 | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom |
| 1964 | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom |
| 1968 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1972 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| 1976 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1980 | Withdrew after qualifying | Withdrew after qualifying | Withdrew after qualifying | Withdrew after qualifying | Withdrew after qualifying | Withdrew after qualifying | Withdrew after qualifying | Withdrew after qualifying | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 1984 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1988 | Group stage | 9th | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1992 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 1996 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 2000 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 2004 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 9 |
| 2007 | Group stage | 13th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 2011 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 6 |
| 2015 | Group stage | 12th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| 2019 | Round of 16 | 14th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 13 |
| 2023 | Round of 16 | 15th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 4 |
| 2027 | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 3 |
| Total | Fourth place | 8/19 | 27 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 33 | 44 | 68 | 33 | 10 | 23 | 106 | 62 |

### Gulf Cup

Gulf Cup record :
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 1970 | Runners-up | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 1972 | Record annulled | Record annulled | Record annulled | Record annulled | Record annulled | Record annulled | Record annulled | Record annulled |
| 1974 | Group stage | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| 1976 | Fourth place | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 15 |
| 1979 | Fourth place | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9 |
| 1982 | Runners-up | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 |
| 1984 | Fifth place | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 1986 | Fifth place | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 1988 | Fourth place | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 1990 | Third place | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1992 | Runners-up | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| 1994 | Third place | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 1996 | Fifth place | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 1998 | Fifth place | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 2002 | Fourth place | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 2003 | Runners-up | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 3 |
| 2004 | Third place | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 |
| 2007 | Semi-finals | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 2009 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2010 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 2013 | Fourth place | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 2014 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2017 | Semi-finals | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 2019 | Champions | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 |
| 2023 | Semi-finals | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
| 2026 |
| Total | 26/26 | 116 | 38 | 35 | 43 | 118 | 139 |

### Arab Cup

FIFA Arab Cup record :
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 1963 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1964 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1966 | Group stage | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 22 |
| 1985 | Runners-up | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 1988 | Group stage | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1992 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1998 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 2002 | Runners-up | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| 2012 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| 2021 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | Best: Runners-up | 24 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 45 |

### Asian Games

Asian Games record :
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1951 to 1970 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1974 | 15th place | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 15 |
| 1978 | 14th place | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| 1982 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1986 | 12th place | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 1990 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1994 | 10th place | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| 1998 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2002 to present | See Bahrain national under-23 football team | See Bahrain national under-23 football team | See Bahrain national under-23 football team | See Bahrain national under-23 football team | See Bahrain national under-23 football team | See Bahrain national under-23 football team | See Bahrain national under-23 football team | See Bahrain national under-23 football team |
| Total | 4/13 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 37 |

### Arab Games

Arab Games record :
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1953 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1957 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1961 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1965 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1976 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1985 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1997 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1999 | First round | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 2007 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2011 | Champions | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
| Total | 2/10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 9 |

### WAFF Championship

WAFF Championship record :
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 2000 | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate |
| 2002 | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate |
| 2004 | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate |
| 2007 | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate |
| 2008 | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate |
| 2010 | Group stage | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | –1 |
| 2012 | Fourth place | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
| 2014 | Third place | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | –1 |
| 2019 | Champions | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Total | 4/9 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 6 | +2 |

## Head-to-head record

    As of 19 November 2024 after match against Australia.
Positive Record  Neutral Record  Negative Record
| Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal scored | Goal against | % Won |
| Albania | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 100% |
| Algeria | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% |
| Angola | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| Australia | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 12.5% |
| Azerbaijan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 0% |
| Bangladesh | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| Belarus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Brazil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Brunei | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 100% |
| Burkina Faso | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 100% |
| Burundi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Cambodia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 100% |
| Canada | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| Cape Verde | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| Chad | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| Chile | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| China | 9 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 0% |
| Chinese Taipei | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 66.67% |
| Colombia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0% |
| Congo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 100% |
| Curaçao | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| Denmark | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| DR Congo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Egypt | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Finland | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 10% |
| Haiti | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 100% |
| Hong Kong | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 78.57% |
| Iceland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 50% |
| India | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 92.86% |
| Indonesia | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 9 | 57.14% |
| Iran | 19 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 32 | 36.84% |
| Iraq | 31 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 50 | 38.33% |
| Japan | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 31 | 14.29% |
| Jordan | 31 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 26 | 35 | 35.48% |
| Kazakhstan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| Kenya | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 100% |
| Kuwait | 44 | 14 | 11 | 19 | 41 | 59 | 44.32% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 81.25% |
| Lebanon | 15 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 23 | 18 | 66.67% |
| Libya | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 50% |
| Malaysia | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 34 | 17 | 71.88% |
| Maldives | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 100% |
| Mauritania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Morocco | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0% |
| Myanmar | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 80% |
| Netherlands | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0% |
| Nepal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 100% |
| New Zealand | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 10% |
| North Korea | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 35.71% |
| North Macedonia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| Norway | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Oman | 40 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 37 | 33 | 51.25% |
| Pakistan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0% |
| Palestine | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 50% |
| Panama | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 50% |
| Paraguay | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0% |
| Philippines | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 71.43% |
| Qatar | 40 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 30 | 34 | 42.5% |
| Saudi Arabia | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 26 | 55 | 18.42% |
| Serbia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0% |
| Singapore | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 6 | 85% |
| Slovakia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% |
| South Korea | 25 | 3 | 5 | 17 | 21 | 58 | 22% |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Sudan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 66.67% |
| Sweden | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0% |
| Syria | 23 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 25 | 41.3% |
| Tajikistan | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 80% |
| Thailand | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 30% |
| Togo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 100% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25% |
| Tunisia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 50% |
| Turkmenistan | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 83.33% |
| Uganda | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 75% |
| Ukraine | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| United Arab Emirates | 32 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 46 | 53 | 37.5% |
| Uzbekistan | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 45.45% |
| Vietnam | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0% |
| Yemen | 16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 31 | 8 | 86.67% |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 100% |
* ↑ A draw counts as a ½ win

## Honours
### Regional

* Arabian Gulf Cup
** Champions (2): 2019, 2024–25
** Runners-up (4): 1970, 1982, 1992, 2003
** Third place (3): 1990, 1994, 2004
* WAFF Championship
** Champions (1): 2019
** Third place (1): 2014
* Arab Games
** Gold medal (1): 2011
* Arab Cup
** Runners-up (2): 1985, 2002