Iraq's rivalry with Kuwait was once considered the Arab world's greatest football rivalry of all time. It began in the mid-1970s. On 2 August 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 did not meet for more than a decade. As of 26 September 2026, Iraq and Kuwait have played 44 matches against each other, with 19 victories for Iraq, 13 draws, and 12 victories for Kuwait.
Major tournament matches
1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1976 AFC Asian Cup
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
Matches Source:
#DateCompetitionHome teamScoreAway teamGoals (home)Goals (away)Venue113 November 19641964 Arab Cup0–1Ismail Kuwait City21 April 19661966 Arab Cup3–1Yousif , Dhiab , Atta Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad328 January 1971Friendly2–0Hajim , Kadhim Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad419 November 1971Friendly3–1Nouri , Aziz , Nouri Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad510 December 19711972 AFC Asian Cup qualification1–1 ()Kuwait won on penalties.Aziz Bu Hamad Kuwait City624 December 19711–0Nouri Kuwait City77 January 19721972 Palestine Cup3–1Yousif , Kadhim , Hatim Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad820 August 19751976 Olympic qualificationNot a full FIFA international1–2Kadhim Tehran98 April 19764th Arabian Gulf Cup2–2Abdul-Jalil , Kadhim Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha1016 April 19764–2Subhi Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha1110 June 19761976 AFC Asian Cup3–2 ()Ibrahim , Kameel Abdul-Jalil , Hassan Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran1218 December 19781978 Asian Games3–0Mahmoud , Saeed , Abdul-Sahib Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok1329 March 19795th Arabian Gulf Cup3–1Hassan , Ahmed , Abdul-Sahib Juma'a Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad1426 March 19801980 Olympic qualificationNot a full FIFA international0–0 Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad1531 March 19802–3Ashraf Yaqoub , Al-Ghanim Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad169 November 1982Friendly1–0 Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City1725 November 19821982 Asian Games1–2Hussein Al-Suwayed , Al-Anberi Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi183 December 19820–1Saeed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi1922 March 19847th Arabian Gulf Cup3–1Saeed , Allawi Fulaiteh Royal Oman Police Stadium, Muscat203 April 19868th Arabian Gulf Cup1–2Jassim Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa2121 February 1987Friendly2–0 Al-Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City2218 December 19871988 Olympic qualificationNot a full FIFA international2–1Suleiman , Al-Hajiri Karim Allawi Al-Kuwait Stadium, Kuwait City2315 January 19881–0Karim Allawi Muscat248 March 19889th Arabian Gulf Cup1–0Radhi King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh2527 December 1988Friendly0–2 Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad2615 October 1989Friendly1–0Hashim Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad278 November 19891989 Peace and Friendship Cup2–1Radhi Al-Saleh Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City2828 February 199010th Arabian Gulf Cup1–1Hussein Al-Hadad Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City2926 November 2005Friendly0–0 Peace & Friendship Stadium, Kuwait City3021 March 2008Friendly0–0 Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City3110 January 200919th Arabian Gulf Cup1–1Abdul-Zahra Khalaf Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat3217 November 2010Friendly1–1Mahmoud Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah332 December 201020th Arabian Gulf Cup2–2 ()Kuwait won on penalties.Al-Mutawa , Al-Enezi Hawar , Abdul-Zahra May 22 Stadium, Aden3429 March 2011Friendly1–0Al-Musawi May 22 Stadium, Aden3513 July 20112011 Fuchs Tournament0–2Al-Fadhli , Al-Fadhel Amman International Stadium, Amman369 January 201321st Arabian Gulf Cup1–0Ahmad Khalifa Sports City Stadium, Isa Town3714 November 201422nd Arabian Gulf Cup0–1Al Enezi Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh3822 December 2014Friendly1–1Mahmoud Ali Maqseed Al-Rashid Stadium, Dubai3910 September 2018Friendly2–2Mhawi , Al Hajri M. Ali , Faez Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Kuwait City4027 January 2021Friendly2–1Dawood , Hussein Al-Rasheedi Basra International Stadium, Basra4130 December 2022Friendly1–0Faez Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium, Basra4211 September 20242026 FIFA World Cup qualification0–0 Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City4320 March 20252026 FIFA World Cup qualification2–2Hashim , Bayesh Nasser Basra International Stadium, Basra4426 September 202627th Arabian Gulf Cup2–3Nasser Iqbal , Rasheed , Nabeel Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, Jeddah
Statistics Matches held in Iraq 12Matches held in neutral venue 20Matches held in Kuwait12Total matches44Matches won by Iraq19Matches won by Kuwait12Goals scored by Iraq59Goals scored by Kuwait48
See also Iran–Iraq football rivalry Iraq–Saudi Arabia football rivalry
References