Al Ansar FC


Al Ansar Football Club is a football club based in Tariq El Jdideh, a district in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the. Formed in 1951, the club did not win its first Lebanese Premier League until 1988. They went on to set a world record by winning the league 11 seasons in a row.
Ansar is the most successful club in the country, having won the Lebanese Premier League 15 times and the Lebanese FA Cup 16 times, both domestic records. They have also won the Federation Cup">Lebanese Football Association">Federation Cup twice, the Lebanese Elite Cup twice and the Lebanese Super Cup six times. Ansar's major rivalry is with Nejmeh; dubbed the Beirut derby, it is the most anticipated game in Lebanon.
The club is primarily supported by the Sunni Muslim community; they had been funded by Rafic Hariri and Salim Diab until 2005. Nabil Badr has been the club's president and main patron since 2012.

History

Early history

In 1948, a group of young Beirutis set up the first administrative board at the club headed by Mustafa Al-Shami. Three years Misbah Dougan, then head of the administrative board, formally requested an official licence for the club allowing them to play football on all Lebanese grounds. They were to be called "Al-Intisar", Arabic for "Victory", however a club with that name was already present. Mustafa Al-Shami proposed "Ansar" in remembrance of the supporters of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Initially, Ansar was known as a Mount Lebanon team, rather than a team from Beirut. This is because, as Beirut had already too many clubs, the Federation decided to relocate Ansar to Ghobeiry. In 1965, Ansar moved to Beirut and won the 1966 Lebanese Second Division promotion play-offs, gaining promotion to the Lebanese Premier League for the following season.

Recent history

Ansar were crowned champions of the 2020–21 Lebanese Premier League by beating Nejmeh 2–1 in the Beirut derby in the last matchday; they won their 14th title, their first since 2007. They made the season a double, after beating Nejmeh in the 2020–21 [Lebanese FA Cup|Lebanese FA Cup] final. Ansar won their 15th title in the 2024–25 season.

Supporters

Although the club's roots lie in the Sunni community in Beirut, Ansar's support comes from all areas and religions in Lebanon. The club has been associated with the Hariri family from the early 1990s till 2005. In 2018, following the introduction of ultras groups in Lebanon, "Ultras Ansari 18" was formed.

Club rivalries

The Beirut derby with Nejmeh has historically been the most anticipated game in Lebanon: both located in Beirut, Nejmeh and Ansar have shared the majority of titles. While Nejmeh has been more successful in Asia, Ansar holds the most league titles and FA Cups.
Another important rivalry is with Ahed FC|Ahed]: located in Beirut, they are affiliated with Hezbollah, with their fan base mostly coming from the Shia Muslims|Shia] community in Beirut. In addition Ansar has a rivalry with Safa, also based in Beirut.

Players

Current squad

Out on loan

Notable players

CompetitionPlayerNational team
1996 CONCACAF Gold CupDavid Nakhid
2000 AFC Asian CupJadir
2000 AFC Asian CupNewton
2000 AFC Asian CupJamal Taha
2007 AFC Asian CupAhmad Mnajed
2007 AFC Asian CupSalih Sadir
2019 AFC Asian CupHassan Chaito
2019 AFC Asian CupHassan Chaitou
2019 AFC Asian CupAdnan Haidar
2019 AFC Asian CupMootaz Jounaidi
2023 AFC Asian CupMouhammed-Ali Dhaini
2023 AFC Asian CupYahya El Hindi
2023 AFC Asian CupHassan Maatouk
2023 AFC Asian CupRobert Alexander Melki
2023 AFC Asian CupNassar Nassar
2023 AFC Asian CupAli Tneich

Honours