The Lebanon national team made its unofficial debut in 1935 against Romanian club CA Timișoara (T.A.C.

In the 21st century, Ansar, Nejmeh, and Ahed (the latter in particular starting from the 2010s) formed a Lebanese "Big Three", winning the majority of the titles.

Indeed, historically, the country's most-supported clubs are Ansar and Nejmeh,[4] with Ahed gaining popularity in recent years.

[5] While the Lebanon national team has never won a major title internationally, Ahed became the first Lebanese club to win the AFC Cup in 2019.

[6] First played by foreign teachers at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in the late-1800s, football quickly grew in popularity with the immigration of Armenians to Lebanon during the French Mandate.

[17] Most clubs were born on the basis of sectarianism, such as Sagesse being Maronite Christian, Nahda a Greek Orthodox team, and Ansar having a predominantly Sunni Muslim fanbase.

[18] Between the 1940s and 1960s,[6] Armenian clubs, most notably Homenetmen and Homenmen, were the most prominent in the early Lebanese footballing scene.

[22] Following the civil war, players from lower-income families began to join football clubs, specifically from impoverished Sunni and Shia areas.

[23] Lebanon hosted the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, with the national team finishing last in the group with only two points.

[28] After winning the 2018–19 Lebanese Premier League Ahed became the three-time defending champions, a feat accomplished only one other time, by Ansar in 1992.

[32][33] The Lebanon national team played its first (unofficial) international game in 1935, against Romanian side CA Timișoara (TAC).

[2] They participated in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, their first through regular qualification,[37] winning their first game in the competition against North Korea in the group stage.