Lebanon is one of the few countries where both summer and winter sports are thriving. Lebanon hosted the 1959 Mediterranean Games in Beirut, the Pan-Arab Games twice (1957 and 1997) as well as the 2000 Asian Cup. Basketball is very popular in the region and the Lebanese Basketball Federation is also a member of FIBA Asia. Their national team has qualified for the FIBA World Championships three times from 2002 to 2010. Some of the most popular Lebanese ball-players include Fadi El Khatib and Elie Mechantaf.

Although basketball enjoys quite a following, football is considered the most popular sport in Lebanon even though their national team has never made it to the FIFA World Cup or won any international trophy.

Leanon has also made a mark in combat sports such as Greco-Roman wrestling when Zakaria Chihab and Khalil Taha took the silver and bronze medals respectively in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. In 1980, Hassan Bechara also represented the country and won the bronze in the Summer Olympic Games.

Another popular spectator sport in Lebanon is bodybuilding and it has produced widely recognized bodybuilders like Samir Bannout, George Farah and Mohammad Bannout. The popularity of bodybuilding in Lebanon, and the arab world in general, is mostly attributed to the efforts of the former Middle East IFBB vice president Malih Alaywan.

Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Lebanon. Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let us know.

Popular sports of Lebanon

Lebanon Sporting Success

  • The Lebanon national basketball team won the Beirut International Cup in July 2025 and February 2024
  • Lebanon won two medals at the Helsinki 1952 Olympics (1 silver and 1 bronze)
  • Lebanon won one silver medal at the Munich 1972 Olympics 
  • Lebanon won one bronze medal at the Moscow 1980 Olympics

Great athletes from Lebanon

  • Fadi El Khatib (basketball)
  • Elie Mechantaf (basketball)
  • Ali Hamadeh (boxing)

Lebanon at major events

Past sporting events hosted in Lebanon

Upcoming sporting events in Lebanon

  • Beirut Sports Festival 2026: This event will be held at the Seaside Arena from July 14-19, 2026

Annual sporting events held in Lebanon

  • Beirut Marathon
  • Lebanese Basketball League
  • Lebanese Football League

Sporting Facilities in Lebanon

  • Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium
  • Saida Municipal Stadium
  • Beirut Municipal Stadium