History of Malaysian football facts for kids

Football is the most popular sport in Malaysia. The first modern rules for football were set up there in 1921. The sport is managed by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). They oversee the national football teams and all the league games.

Malaysia has hosted big football events. In 1997, they hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup. In 2007, Malaysia was one of four countries to host the Asian Cup 2007.

The Malaysian national team has had its biggest wins in the regional AFF Suzuki Cup (which used to be called the Tiger Cup). They won it for the first time in 2010. They beat Indonesia 4–2 in the final game to win their first major international football title.

Malaysia has produced many great players. Legends like Mokhtar Dahari, Hassan Sani, and James Wong helped Malaysia have a "golden age" of football from the 1970s to the 1980s. Before them, Datuk Abdul Ghani Minhat was known as the Malaysian King of Football in the 1950s and 1960s. Malaysia's biggest win ever was 15–1 against the Philippines in 1962.

In the FIFA World Rankings, Malaysia's highest spot was 75th in August 1993. Malaysia's main rivals are its neighbors, Indonesia and Singapore. Matches between these teams are always exciting! Malaysia is one of the most successful teams in Southeast Asia, along with Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. They won the ASEAN Football Championship in 2010.

History of Football in Malaysia

How Football Started (1900 to 1978)

Football came to Malaysia (which was then called Malaya) with the British. Locals quickly learned the game, and it soon became the country's top sport. By the late 1800s, football was a big part of most sports clubs in Malaya. In 1905, the Selangor Amateur Football League was formed to help organize the game better. But at first, only clubs in Kuala Lumpur could join.

The first known football competition winners in Malaysia were YMCA in Penang in 1906.

In January 1921, a British Royal Navy ship, the H. M. S. Malaya, visited several ports in Malaya. The ship's crew played friendly football matches against local clubs.

A few months later, the captain of the H. M. S. Malaya offered two cups for football and rugby. This was a thank you for the warm welcome they received. The football cup became known as the Malaya Cup. The first Malaya Cup match was played on August 20, 1921. Selangor beat Penang 5–1 in front of about 5,000 fans in Kuala Lumpur. Six teams played in the first tournament, and Singapore won. By 1923, newspapers called it "the greatest sporting event of the year."

The Football Association of Malaya (FAM) was started in 1933. In 1954, FAM joined FIFA and the AFC.

The Malaysia FAM Cup began in 1952. It was a second knockout competition, less famous than the Malaya Cup. State teams, including Singapore, the Police, Army, and Prisons Department, played in it.

In 1959, the Malaya Cup changed its format. Teams played each other twice (home and away) in three different zones.

In the early 1960s, the FAM changed its name to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) when Malaysia was formed. A new trophy for the Malaya Cup was introduced in 1967. Since then, the competition has been known as the Malaysia Cup.

From 1974, only club teams could enter the FAM Cup. In 1976, Penang was the first Malaysian club to win the Aga Khan Gold Cup.

Leagues Start to Grow (1979–1993)

A Malaysian football league for state teams began in 1979. At first, it was mainly a way to decide which teams would play in the final knockout stages of the Malaysia Cup. The top teams from the league would go on to play in the Malaysia Cup semi-finals and finals.

In 1982, a league trophy was introduced. This meant that the winners of the league stage were officially recognized as league champions. After that, the Malaysia Cup was played after the league finished, with only the best league teams taking part.

In 1989, the league changed to the Malaysian Semi-Pro Football League (MSPFL). This was a step towards becoming a fully professional league.

At first, only state teams, the Armed Forces, the Police, and teams from Singapore and Brunei could play. However, Singapore left the league after 1994.

The first MSPFL season had nine teams in Division I and eight teams in Division II. Games were played home and away for about four months. Only the top six teams from Division I and the top two from Division II would play in the Malaysia Cup.

In 1990, the FAM started a new knockout competition called the Malaysia FA Cup. Perak won the first FA Cup.

In 1992, FAM created another amateur league for local clubs called the Liga Nasional. This league only lasted one season. Some clubs from it, like PKENJ (which became Johor FC), later joined the main league.

Professional Football Begins (1994 to Present)

The MSPFL was the top league until the Malaysia Premier League (1994–97) was formed in 1994. This marked the start of professional football in Malaysia.

In its first year, 16 teams competed, including teams from all Malaysian states and two foreign teams: Singapore and Brunei.

In 1998, the Malaysia Premier League was split into two divisions: Premier League 1 and Premier League 2. Teams could now have professional players.

These two leagues continued until 2003. Then, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) decided to make the league more independent. They formed the Malaysia Super League. The best teams from the old leagues qualified for the Super League. Other teams went into a new second-tier league, also called the Malaysia Premier League.

Since 2016, the Malaysian Football League (MFL) has managed all the top professional football competitions. In 2021, all clubs in the Malaysian league became private football clubs. This change was pushed by the FAM to help clubs rely less on government money.

The Malaysia FAM Cup also changed in 2008. It became a league format (teams play each other twice) and was renamed the Malaysia FAM League. In 2018, a new group called the Amateur Football League (AFL) was created. It now manages the lower divisions of Malaysian football, including the Malaysia M3 League and the Malaysia M4 League for amateur teams.

Hall of Fame: League Champions

This table shows the winners of Malaysia's top football league over the years.

Hall of Fame: Cup Winners

This table shows the winners of the main cup competitions in Malaysian football.

Great Honours in Malaysian Football

Teams in Malaysian football have achieved special "trebles" and "quadruples" by winning multiple major trophies in one season.

Quadruple Wins

A "quadruple" means a team wins four major trophies in a single season.

Treble Wins

A "treble" means a team wins three major trophies in one season.

Double Wins

A "double" means a team wins two major trophies in one season.

See also

• Malaysia M3 League
• Malaysia M4 League
• Malaysia M5 League
• FAM Football Awards