Speech by SCST at Hong Kong Football Festival 2026 Press Conference (English only)
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Rachael (Managing Director of TEG Sport, Ms Rachael Carroll), Eric (Chairman of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China, Mr Eric Fok), Andrew (Chief Executive Officer of the Kai Tak Sports Park Limited, Mr Andrew Kam), Wilfred (Chairman of the Major Sports Events Committee, Mr Wilfred Ng), media friends, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. I am most excited to join you today at the press conference for the second edition of the Hong Kong Football Festival. I am sure many of you are still savouring the fond memories of last summer, as Rachael has said - around 100 000 passionate football fans filling up the magnificent Kai Tak Stadium for two spectacular exhibition matches.
Football will once again take centre stage in the global sports arena in the coming months, with the World Cup just around the corner. Hong Kong is proud to sustain this momentum in August, as four iconic European clubs participate in this year's Hong Kong Football Festival. Obviously I don't have a crystal ball to predict the final standings. But all four clubs - Chelsea, Inter, Juventus and Manchester City - have been performing very well in their domestic leagues, with City now stands a decent chance to be the English Premier League title owner again. Not an easy thing for a ManU (Manchester United) fan to say, man. But I am totally confident that together these four teams will deliver thrilling clashes here in Hong Kong this summer.
Last year, the Hong Kong Football Festival was inaugurated at the then newly commissioned Kai Tak Stadium. One year on, this state-of-the-art venue has become the premier destination for mega events in Asia. It has welcomed over 2 million spectators from Hong Kong and around the world, including 111 000 just over last weekend at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens. According to leading international industry magazine "Pollstar", Kai Tak Stadium topped the chart in Asia for both ticket sales and gross revenue. As I said over the weekend during the Hong Kong Sevens, Kai Tak Stadium is a "game changer", demonstrating Hong Kong's ability to attract major international events.
I am delighted that more and more major international teams now see Hong Kong as their favourite destination for pre-season tours. I thank TEG for your continued confidence in the Hong Kong market following last year's inaugural festival. Beyond infrastructure and tourism appeal, Hong Kong's access to the vast Chinese Mainland market is no doubt another significant draw. I would also like to thank the legendary players, who you will be seeing in a moment, from the four clubs for travelling all the way to Hong Kong for this launch. Seeing your faces brings back so many precious memories of past matches.
Together with our enthusiastic football fans, I very much look forward to the Hong Kong Football Festival in August. And see you all at Kai Tak Stadium.
Thank you.
Ends/Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:08
Issued at HKT 12:08
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