Libya national football team
Mediterranean Knights · UNAF · Elo 1453 (25th in Africa)
About the Libya national team
The Libya national football team (Mediterranean Knights) represents Libya in men's international football and competes in CAF's North African (UNAF) region.
All told, Libya have played 387 recorded internationals since 1957: 144 wins (37.2%), 93 draws and 150 defeats, with 504 goals scored and 470 conceded.
Libya have played at 3 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments without winning the title, reaching the final in 1982.
Libya have not yet qualified for a FIFA World Cup finals tournament.
Our Elo rating puts Libya on 1453 points: 25th in Africa and 119th in the world. Their highest rating (1661) came in 1985.
Ahmed Saad Osman is the leading scorer in our match records with 6 goals for Libya.
Next matches
All fixtures →
Recent results
All results →WWDDWLDDDL
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2026 | L |  Uganda |
0–1 | AFCON Qualification | A · Hoima |
| 24 Sep 2026 | D |  Botswana |
2–2 | AFCON Qualification | H · Tripoli |
| 31 Mar 2026 | D |  Liberia |
2–2 | Morocco, Capital of African Football | N · Casablanca |
| 27 Mar 2026 | D |  Niger |
0–0 | Morocco, Capital of African Football | N · Casablanca |
| 25 Nov 2025 | L |  Palestine |
0–0p | Arab Cup Qualification | N · Al Rayyan |
| 15 Nov 2025 | W |  Mauritania |
1–0 | International Friendly | H · Benina |
| 13 Oct 2025 | D |  Mauritius |
0–0 | World Cup Qualification | A · Saint Pierre |
| 8 Oct 2025 | D |  Cape Verde |
3–3 | World Cup Qualification | H · Tripoli |
| 8 Sep 2025 | W |  Eswatini |
2–0 | World Cup Qualification | H · Benghazi |
| 4 Sep 2025 | W |  Angola |
1–0 | World Cup Qualification | A · Luanda |
| 25 Mar 2025 | L |  Cameroon |
1–3 | World Cup Qualification | A · Yaoundé |
| 20 Mar 2025 | D | Angola |
1–1 | World Cup Qualification | H · Benghazi |
Key facts
- At home
- 82W 41D 24L (56% wins)
- Away
- 20W 29D 100L (13% wins)
- Neutral venues
- 42W 23D 26L (46% wins)
- Goals per match
- 1.30 scored, 1.21 conceded
- Clean sheets
- 130 (34%)
- Failed to score
- 139 matches (36%)
- Most common score
- 0–1 (51 times)
- vs Asia
- 25W 19D 24L
- vs Europe
- 9W 8D 9L
- vs North America
- 2W 0D 1L
- vs South America
- 0W 0D 3L
- Best decade
- 1980s (54% wins)
- First recorded match
- Tunisia 4–2 Libya (1957)
Where Libyan players were born
All birthplaces →Each dot is a birthplace; bigger dots mean more players. Players born outside Africa are on the born abroad page.
Active Libyan internationals
Where they play →| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almoatasembellah Mohamed | Midfielder |  AS Monaco FC | – | – |
| Ahmad Benali | Midfielder |  Pisa SC | – | – |
| Ismael Tajouri-Shradi | Midfielder |  New York City FC | – | – |
| Mohamed El Monir | Full-back | Al AHLI TRIPOLI SC | – | – |
Players with an open club spell and a senior cap on record; not an official squad list.
Top scorers
Full list →- Ahmed Saad Osman2004–2012
- Ahmed Al Masli2000–2003
- Ezoo El Maremi2025–2026
- Ali Al-Beshari1982–1985
- Nader Kara2004–2004
- Faisal Al Badri2013–2024
- Abubaker Bani1980–1985
- Jehad Muntasser2000–2001
- Khaled Elfallah2001–2001
- Mutaz Kablan2001–2001
Record by competition
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFCON Qualification | 81 | 24 | 15 | 42 | 89 | 112 | 1966–2026 | |
| World Cup Qualification | 73 | 27 | 18 | 28 | 79 | 80 | 1969–2025 | |
| Arab Cup | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 59 | 15 | 1964–2012 | |
| Africa Cup of Nations | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 1982–2012 | |
| Palestine Cup | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 1972–1975 | |
| LG Cup | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2004–2006 | |
| Merdeka Tournament | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 1977–1977 | |
| CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2017–2017 | |
| All-African Games | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1978–1978 | |
| Kuneitra Cup | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 1974–1974 |
Notable Libyan players
All players →
Almoatasembellah MohamedLibya · AS Monaco FC
A
Ahmad BenaliLibya · Pisa SC
Ismael Tajouri-ShradiLibya · New York City FC
Ahmed Saad OsmanLibya · b. 1979
Mohamed El MonirLibya · Al AHLI TRIPOLI SC
Ihaab BoussefiLibya · b. 1985
Samir AboudLibya · b. 1972
D
Djamal MahamatLibya · b. 1983
Éamon ZayedLibya · b. 1983
F
Fawzi Al-IssawiLibya · b. 1960
Younes Al ShibaniLibya · b. 1981
Frequently asked questions
What is the nickname of the Libya national team?
Libya are nicknamed the Mediterranean Knights.
How many times have Libya won AFCON?
Libya have won the Africa Cup of Nations 0 times.
Have Libya played at the World Cup?
No, Libya have not qualified for a World Cup finals tournament yet.
Who is the top scorer for Libya?
In our match database, Ahmed Saad Osman leads with 6 goals. Goal data is most complete for tournament matches.
What is the biggest win in Libya history?
Libya 21–0 Oman on 3 April 1966 (Arab Cup).