Singapore football fiesta full-throttle action

Article posted by Coliseum, May 2^nd, 2025

Image: Singapore National Stadium, Exec8, CC BY-SA 4.0

The TEG Sport and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have signed a five-year partnership to bring the Singapore Festival of Football (SFOF) back on ground with the regular top-flight European football fixtures scheduled to play in Singapore in alternate years – 2025, 2027 and 2029.

‘TTG ASIA’ stated that this year’s SFOF will feature 19-time Serie A champions AC Milan (Italy), the English Premier League giants Arsenal F.C. (UK) and the newly-crowned Carabao Cup (an annual knockout football competition in England’s domestic football calendar) champions – the Newcastle United F.C. The Arsenal F.C. will play their first match against AC Milan on July 23^rd and host an open training session two days later before playing the Newcastle United F.C. on July 27^th.

Southbank (Australia)-based the TEG Sport is a producer and promoter of live sporting events featuring the world’s biggest sporting teams and brands.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the leading economic development agency for Singapore’s tourism sector. It aims to differentiate Singapore as a destination delivering on its promise to provide a concentration of multifaceted and user-centric travel experiences as well as positioning Singapore as a future-facing and inspiring destination.

‘TTG ASIA’ further stated that both the fixtures as well as the open training session will be held at the 55,000-capacity National Stadium at the Singapore Sports Hub.

The Singapore Sports Hub is a sports and recreation district in Kallang, Singapore. The Sports Hub is a 35-hectare public-private partnership that is anchored by the new National Stadium and the existing 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium and also incorporates a new aquatics facility, an indoor sports hall, a water sports center, public sports facilities, and retail.

Averred Timothy Ho, Managing Director, TEG Asia (a division of TEG, a global leader in live entertainment, ticketing and technology), “The nation’s (Singapore) location, efficiency and passion for European football make it a natural spot for the teams to conduct their preseason training and connect with their fans in South-East Asia. This is not the first time we’ve brought European football clubs to Singapore and this partnership will allow us to continue allowing fans here to enjoy world-class football on a regular basis.”

Maintained Melissa Ow, Chief Executive, STB, expects the partnership to add to Singapore’s “vibrant calendar and also reinforces Singapore’s appeal as a must-visit destination”.

Exulted Franco Baresi, AC Milan Honorary Vice-President, “We are thrilled to be part of the Singapore Festival of Football this Summer and to play our first-ever match in Singapore. It will be a special moment for the club and for all our fans in this part of the world – a historic first that promises to be unmissable for anyone who loves the ‘Rossoneri’ colors. The AC Milan boasts a rich history and a truly international vision – from Milan to the hearts of our supporters all around the globe – and we can’t wait to bring our spirit to the National Stadium and feel the energy and passion of our fans in Singapore.”

The Arsenal F.C. Managing Director, Richard Garlick, recalled enjoyable trips to Singapore for the team back in 2015 and 2018, “Our trip (this year) will give us the opportunity to connect with our supporters in this beautiful region with the matches against AC Milan and Newcastle United promising to produce two exciting games providing the squad with high quality preparation ahead of the new season.”

The Newcastle United F.C.’s Sporting Director, Paul Mitchell, added that the team’s participation in the SFOF will provide “elite facilities and opposition as we look to optimize performance ahead of a Premier League season”.

The inaugural SFOF in 2023 welcomed over 130,000 fans to the National Stadium where the Premier League teams Liverpool F.C., the Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and the Leicester City F.C. as well as the German powerhouse – the FC Bayern Munich (Bundesliga) – played three top-class matches over a week.

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