Kuwait have gone 45 years, 10 months without a major trophy.
Kuwait — last major trophy
Time since last trophy
Kuwait won as hosts, beating South Korea 3-0 in the final, for their only Asian Cup title and the high point of the national team's history.
Kuwait's only Asian Cup title came in 1980, won as hosts with a 3-0 win over South Korea in the final, the high point of a golden era for Kuwaiti football in the late 1970s and early 1980s. That generation went on to reach Kuwait's only World Cup appearance, in 1982, a tournament remembered for a bizarre incident during their group match against France: after France scored what stood as a valid goal, Kuwait's players stopped playing, believing they had heard a whistle from the stands, and the president of the Kuwait Football Association controversially walked onto the pitch to protest — after which the French referee, in an unprecedented decision, disallowed the goal. Kuwait lost the match regardless, and have not qualified for a World Cup since, nor added another Asian Cup title in the more than four decades since 1980.
| Competition | Titles won |
|---|---|
| FIFA World Cup | 0 |
| AFC Asian Cup | 1 |
| Year | Competition | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | AFC Asian Cup | Won | 3-0 vs South Korea, as hosts |
The 1980 AFC Asian Cup, held on home soil, beating South Korea 3-0 in the final.
A French goal was controversially disallowed after Kuwait's players stopped playing and the Kuwait FA president walked onto the pitch to protest.
No, that remains their only World Cup appearance.
One, in 1980, as hosts.
Yes. Kuwait last won the Asian Cup in 1980, when they won the 1980 AFC Asian Cup. The live counter above shows the current time since that title.
Kuwait last won the Asian Cup in 1980 at the 1980 AFC Asian Cup.
Last verified 2026-09-08. Trophy dates are checked against official competition information and the relevant football confederation.
Data last verified: 2026-09-08
