Lebanese Football Association

The Lebanese Football Association (LFA) is the national governing body for association football in Lebanon. It administers the organized football system within the country, including national competitions, club football, national teams, registration and disciplinary processes, and Lebanon’s formal relationships with international football institutions. Its activities span the men’s and women’s game and include the structures supporting domestic leagues, cup competitions and representative teams, although the precise scope of individual programs can change over time. The association was established in Beirut on 22 March 1933, when representatives of thirteen football clubs met in the Minet El Hosn district to create a national federation. Hussein Sejaan became its first president. The creation of the LFA made Lebanon one of the earlier countries in the Middle East to develop a formal administrative institution for association football. The federation subsequently joined FIFA in 1936 and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1964. In 2001, it was among the founding members of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), giving Lebanese football a regional institutional platform in addition to its global and Asian affiliations. The LFA’s history has been shaped by Lebanon’s wider political and social conditions. During the Lebanese Civil War, the association became divided in 1985 between western and eastern administrations. The western administration was led by Nabil Al Raei, while the eastern administration was headed by Hamid Khoury. The dispute affected Lebanon’s standing within international football: FIFA froze the country’s membership until 5 February 1987, when FIFA president Sepp Blatter communicated recognition of elections held on 2 May 1985 that had elected Al Raei as president. This episode illustrates the dependence of national football governance on both domestic stability and recognition by international sporting authorities. In practical terms, the LFA functions as a regulator and competition organizer rather than as a commercial consumer brand. It sets or administers competition frameworks, coordinates clubs and officials, supports the Lebanon national football team and other representative sides, and acts as the Lebanese contact point for FIFA, the AFC and WAFF. Its competitions include the Lebanese Premier League and national cup tournaments such as the Lebanese FA Cup and Federation Cup. The association also has responsibility for integrity and disciplinary matters, including responses to allegations affecting the credibility of domestic matches. The LFA remains an active institution headquartered in Lebanon. Publicly available reference material confirms its historical formation and international affiliations, but does not provide a complete current organizational chart, a reliably documented founder profile, or a sufficiently detailed account of current commercial operations. Accordingly, this dossier treats the association primarily as a national sports-governing body and leaves unsupported corporate, financial and executive details unreported.

The Lebanese Football Association was formed on 22 March 1933 in Beirut. Thirteen football clubs gathered in the Minet El Hosn district to establish a national administrative body, with Hussein Sejaan becoming the federation’s first president. The creation of the association placed Lebanon among the early Middle Eastern countries to organize football through a centralized federation rather than leaving the sport solely to individual clubs or informal local arrangements. The association gained international recognition through successive memberships. It joined FIFA in 1936, connecting Lebanese football to the worldwide governing structure, and entered the Asian Football Confederation in 1964. In 2001, Lebanon was among the countries that founded the West Asian Football Federation, a regional body that provides a framework for competitions and cooperation among football associations in West Asia. The most significant governance crisis in the documented history of the LFA occurred during the Lebanese Civil War. In 1985, the federation was divided into two administrations. The western administration was headed by Nabil Al Raei, while the eastern administration was led by Hamid Khoury. Because the competing administrations created uncertainty over which body legitimately represented Lebanese football, FIFA froze Lebanon’s membership. The dispute was resolved in the international football context on 5 February 1987, when FIFA president Sepp Blatter sent a telex recognizing the elections held on 2 May 1985 that had elected Al Raei as president. After the restoration of its international standing, the LFA continued to serve as Lebanon’s national football authority. Its responsibilities include administering domestic competitions, coordinating club participation, overseeing registration and disciplinary structures, organizing national representative teams and maintaining institutional links with FIFA, the AFC and the WAFF. The domestic football environment includes the Lebanese Premier League and national cup competitions such as the Lebanese FA Cup and Federation Cup. The association has also been connected with integrity concerns in Lebanese football, including the 2013 Lebanese match-fixing scandal. Available reference material identifies the episode as a notable event but does not establish a complete account of the investigation, affected matches, sanctions or subsequent reforms. It is therefore recorded as an integrity-related scandal without adding unsupported details. The LFA is an active national sports federation rather than a conventional commercial brand. Its public identity is based on regulation, representation and competition administration. Information about its current board, senior officials, revenues and organizational structure is not sufficiently documented in the supplied material, so those fields remain unfilled.

• 2001

  Founding membership of WAFF

  [1]Lebanese Football Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The LFA became one of the founding members of the West Asian Football Federation.

• 1987

  International recognition restored

  [1]Lebanese Football Associationen.wikipedia.org

  FIFA recognized the relevant 1985 election on 5 February 1987, ending the freeze on Lebanon’s FIFA membership.

• 1985

  Federation divided during the civil war

  [1]Lebanese Football Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The LFA split into western and eastern administrations led by Nabil Al Raei and Hamid Khoury respectively.

• 1964

  AFC membership

  [1]Lebanese Football Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Lebanon joined the Asian Football Confederation and became part of the organized Asian football structure.

• 1936

  FIFA membership

  [1]Lebanese Football Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The LFA joined FIFA, giving Lebanon formal participation in the global football governance system.

• 1933

  Association established

  [1]Lebanese Football Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Representatives of thirteen Lebanese football clubs met in Beirut on 22 March 1933 to establish the Lebanese Football Association. Hussein Sejaan became its first president.

The LFA is positioned as Lebanon’s official football regulator and competition administrator, linking domestic clubs and national teams with FIFA, the AFC and the WAFF.

• Domestic league competition

  Lebanese Premier League

  The Lebanese Premier League is the country’s principal men’s domestic association-football competition and one of the central competitions administered within the LFA system. The association’s role includes organizing the competition framework and coordinating participating clubs, officials and regulatory procedures.

• Domestic cup competition

  Lebanese FA Cup

  The Lebanese FA Cup is a national knockout competition operated within Lebanese football. It provides clubs with a cup format alongside league play and forms part of the LFA’s domestic competition portfolio.

• National team administration

  Lebanon national football teams

  The LFA administers Lebanon’s representative football teams, including the senior national side and other national selections. Its responsibilities include the institutional coordination of teams representing Lebanon in international football.

• 2013

  Lebanese match-fixing scandal

  The LFA was associated with a 2013 match-fixing scandal in Lebanese football. The supplied reference identifies the episode but does not provide enough verified detail to specify the full set of allegations, individuals, matches or sanctions.

  Source

Read more

• 1987

  Recognition of the 1985 federation electionStrategy

  Background

  A split between western and eastern administrations during the Lebanese Civil War had led FIFA to freeze Lebanon’s membership.

  Action taken

  FIFA recognized the elections held on 2 May 1985 that had elected Nabil Al Raei as president, communicated on 5 February 1987.

  Aftermath

  The recognition ended the documented FIFA membership freeze and restored an internationally recognized governance framework for Lebanese football.

  Source

1. 1Lebanese Football Associationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Lebanese Football Association official websitethe-lfa.com.lb