Al Ansar FC

Al Ansar Football Club (نادي الأنصار الرياضي) 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 14 times and the Lebanese FA Cup 15 times, both domestic records. They have also won the Lebanese 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.

While club's support comes in majority from the Sunni Muslim community in Beirut, the club has fans of all faiths from all around the country; 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.

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 Lebanese FA Cup final.

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" (UA18) 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: located in Beirut, they are affiliated with Hezbollah, with their fan base mostly coming from the Shia community in Beirut. In addition Ansar has a rivalry with Safa, also based in Beirut.

Honours

 * Lebanese Premier League
 * Winners (14; record): 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2020–21
 * Lebanese FA Cup
 * Winners (16; record): 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2020–21, 2023–24
 * Runners-up (5): 1985–86, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2018–19, 2021–22
 * Lebanese Federation Cup
 * Winners (2; joint record): 1999, 2000
 * Lebanese Elite Cup (defunct)
 * Winners (2): 1997, 2000
 * Runners-up (8): 1996, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2019, 2022
 * Lebanese Super Cup
 * Winners (6): 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2012, 2021
 * Runners-up (4): 2002, 2010, 2017, 2019

Performance in AFC competitions
AFC Champions League: 11 appearances
 * 1988–89: Qualifying stage
 * 1989–90: Qualifying stage
 * 1991: Qualifying stage
 * 1993–94: Quarter-finals
 * 1994–95: Quarter-finals
 * 1995: Second round
 * 1997–98: Quarter-finals
 * 1998–99: Second round
 * 1999–2000: Second round
 * 2000–01: First round
 * 2002–03: Qualifying stage

AFC Cup: 8 appearances
 * 2007: Group stage
 * 2008: Group stage
 * 2011: Group stage
 * 2013: Group stage
 * 2018: Group stage
 * 2020: Cancelled
 * 2021: Group stage
 * 2022: Group stage

Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 2 appearances
 * 1991–92: First round
 * 1996–97: First round

Chairmen history

 * 🇱🇧 Mustafa El-Shami (1948–1950)
 * 🇱🇧 Ameen Itani (1950–1954)
 * 🇱🇧 Fouad Rustom (1954–1956)
 * 🇱🇧 Abdul Jalil Al-Sabra (1956–1963)
 * 🇱🇧 Jamil Hasbeeny (1963–1965)
 * 🇱🇧 Abed El-Jamil Ramadan (1965–1967)
 * 🇱🇧 Khaled Kabbani (1967–1975)
 * 🇱🇧 Said Wanid (1975–1977)
 * 🇱🇧 Salim Diab (1977–2008)
 * 🇱🇧 Karim Diab (2008–2012)
 * 🇱🇧 Nabil Badr (2012–present)