An internal combustion engine is equipped with a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinders and an in-block water jacket, a cylinder head having an in-head water jacket, and a head gasket. The in-block water jacket includes a plurality of cylinder outer peripheral portions. The head gasket includes a plurality of coolant opening portions. The internal combustion engine is configured such that coolant sequentially flows through the cylinder outer peripheral portions along a cylinder bank direction in the in-block water jacket. The head gasket includes one or a plurality of dam portions provided, in such a manner as to block the flow of coolant, at a position downstream of the coolant opening portion corresponding to the cylinder outer peripheral portion located at least most downstream in an in-block coolant flow direction.