Malaysia national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Malaysia

Nickname(s)	Harimau Malaya (Malayan Tigers)
Association	Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	AFF (Southeast Asia)
Head coach	Peter Cklamovski
Captain	Dion Cools
Most caps	Soh Chin Ann (195)
Top scorer	Mokhtar Dahari (89)
Home stadium	Bukit Jalil National Stadium
FIFA code	MAS
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	167 (7 February 2019)
Highest	75 (8 August 1993)
Lowest	178 (15 March 2018)
Elo ranking
Current	173 10 (3 March 2019)
Highest	1 (1 March 1977)
Lowest	1 (September 2018)
First international
Malaysia 1–1 Thailand  (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 12 October 1963)
Biggest win
Malaysia 11–0 Philippines  (Tehran, Iran; 7 September 1974)
Biggest defeat
United Arab Emirates 10–0 Malaysia  (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 3 September 2015)
AFC Asian Cup
Appearances	4 (first in 1976)
Best result	Group stage (1976, 1980, 2007, 2023)
ASEAN Championship
Appearances	14 (first in 1996)
Best result	Champions (2010)
Medal record Asian Games Bronze 1974 Tehran Team SEA Games Bronze 1969 Myanmar Team Silver 1971 Malaysia Team Bronze 1973 Singapore Team Silver 1975 Thailand Team Gold 1977 Malaysia Team Gold 1979 Indonesia Team Silver 1981 Philippines Team Bronze 1983 Singapore Team Bronze 1985 Thailand Team Silver 1987 Indonesia Team Gold 1989 Malaysia Team

The Malaysia national football team represents Malaysia in international football. The team is controlled by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). They are officially nicknamed Harimau Malaya, which means Malayan Tigers.

The team is seen by FIFA as the successor to the Malaya national football team. Before Malaysia was formed, the Malayan team won a bronze medal at the 1962 Asian Games. The team's biggest successes include qualifying for the 1972 Summer Olympics and winning the AFF Championship in 2010.

Malaysia has exciting rivalries with nearby countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore. These matches are always popular with fans. The team plays its home games at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

History

The Beginning (1963–1969)

The Malaya football team won the Merdeka Cup in 1958. The first Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman (center), is also in the picture.

Before 1963, the regions of Malaya, North Borneo (now Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore all had their own football teams. The Malaya team was very successful, winning a bronze medal at the 1962 Asian Games.

After Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963, a new national team was created. At first, it included players from both Malaya and Singapore. When Singapore became its own country in 1965, the team was made up of players only from Malaysia.

The Golden Years (1970–1980)

Malaysia playing against South Korea during the 1972 Summer Olympics qualifiers.

The 1970s were a fantastic time for Malaysian football. The team qualified for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. They even beat the United States 3–0 in the tournament!

This era had legendary players like Mokhtar Dahari, who is one of the top goal scorers in the history of international football. Another legend, Soh Chin Ann, played the most international games for any male footballer for a long time.

In 1974, the team won another bronze medal at the Asian Games. They also played in the AFC Asian Cup in 1976 and 1980. The team also qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow but did not attend due to a boycott led by the United States.

A Time of Challenges (1990–2009)

The Malaysian team (in yellow) playing against New Zealand in a friendly match in 2006.

After the success of the 1970s and 80s, the team went through a difficult period. In the 1990s, Malaysian football faced problems with unfair play, which affected the team's performance. For many years, the team struggled to qualify for major tournaments.

Even with different coaches, the team could not repeat its past glory. However, they did finish third in the regional Tiger Cup (now the AFF Championship) in 2004. The team's performance during the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, which Malaysia co-hosted, was disappointing, and they did not advance from the group stage.

Kings of Southeast Asia (2010)

Fahmi

Muslim

Fadhli

Asraruddin

Sabre

Safiq

Amar

Kunanlan

Ashari

Norshahrul

Safee

The starting team for the second leg of the 2010 AFF Championship final.

In 2010, under coach K. Rajagopal, a young Malaysian team did something amazing. They competed in the 2010 AFF Championship. After a rough start, they made it to the semi-finals and beat the defending champions, Vietnam.

In the final, they faced their rivals, Indonesia. Malaysia won the first match at home 3–0 in front of a huge crowd at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. Although they lost the second match 1-2 in Jakarta, they won 4-2 overall. For the first time ever, Malaysia were the champions of Southeast Asia!

Ups and Downs (2011–2022)

After their 2010 victory, the team had mixed results. They reached the final of the 2014 AFF Championship and the 2018 AFF Championship but finished as runners-up both times. The team struggled to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup.

There were several changes in coaches during this time. The COVID-19 pandemic also created challenges, as many key players were not available for important qualification matches for the 2022 World Cup.

A New Era (2022–Present)

In 2022, Kim Pan-gon from South Korea became the new coach and brought new energy to the team. His leadership led to a big success: Malaysia qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup on merit for the first time in 42 years. This made fans very hopeful for the future.

At the 2023 Asian Cup, Malaysia was in a tough group with Jordan, Bahrain, and South Korea. Although they didn't advance, they ended the tournament with an incredible 3–3 draw against the powerful South Korean team. This match is remembered for Faisal Halim's amazing goal and a last-minute equalizer by Romel Morales.

In July 2024, Kim Pan-gon resigned for personal reasons. In December 2024, Peter Cklamovski was appointed as the new head coach, with the goal of leading the team to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Team Image

Kits

The team's home kit is famous for its yellow and black stripes, which look like the stripes of a tiger. This design is a tribute to the kits worn by the Malayan teams in the 1920s and 1970s. The away kit is usually black or white.

Over the years, the kits have been made by famous brands like Adidas, Nike, and now Puma.

Home Stadium

The Bukit Jalil National Stadium during the 2014 AFF Championship final.

Malaysia's main home stadium is the massive Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur. It can hold over 87,000 people, making it one of the largest football stadiums in the world. The incredible atmosphere created by the fans here gives the team a big advantage.

When the Bukit Jalil stadium is not available, the team sometimes plays in other stadiums across Malaysia, like the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor or the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Terengganu.

Supporters

Ultras Malaya supporters creating an exciting atmosphere with flares and banners.

The national team is supported by a passionate fan group called Ultras Malaya. They are famous for their loud, organized cheering throughout the entire match.

They wear black and yellow, bring large flags and banners, and use drums and flares to create an amazing and intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams. Their non-stop support is a huge boost for the Harimau Malaya players.

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2027 Asian Cup qualification match against Vietnam in June 2025.

Caps and goals are correct as of 10 June 2025, after the match against Vietnam.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Haziq Nadzli	(1998-01-06) 6 January 1998 (age 27)	4	0	Kuching City
16	1GK	Syihan Hazmi	(1996-02-22) 22 February 1996 (age 29)	31	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim
23	1GK	Sikh Izhan	(2002-03-23) 23 March 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Selangor
2	2DF	Matthew Davies (captain)	(1995-02-07) 7 February 1995 (age 30)	58	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim
3	2DF	Facundo Garcés	(1999-09-05) 5 September 1999 (age 25)	1	0	Alavés
4	2DF	Gabriel Palmero	(2002-01-15) 15 January 2002 (age 23)	2	0	Unionistas
5	2DF	Jon Irazabal	(1996-11-28) 28 November 1996 (age 28)	1	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim
6	2DF	Harith Haiqal	(2002-06-22) 22 June 2002 (age 23)	8	1	Selangor
18	2DF	Ubaidullah Shamsul	(2003-11-30) 30 November 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Terengganu
21	2DF	Dion Cools (vice-captain)	(1996-06-04) 4 June 1996 (age 29)	32	5	Cerezo Osaka
22	2DF	La'Vere Corbin-Ong	(1991-04-22) 22 April 1991 (age 34)	43	6	Johor Darul Ta'zim
8	3MF	Stuart Wilkin	(1998-03-12) 12 March 1998 (age 27)	29	6	Sabah
10	3MF	Endrick	(1995-03-07) 7 March 1995 (age 30)	23	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim
13	3MF	Hector Hevel	(1996-05-15) 15 May 1996 (age 29)	2	1	Johor Darul Ta'zim
15	3MF	Nooa Laine	(2002-11-22) 22 November 2002 (age 22)	14	0	Selangor
20	3MF	Nazmi Faiz	(1994-08-16) 16 August 1994 (age 31)	19	1	Johor Darul Ta'zim
7	4FW	Faisal Halim	(1998-01-07) 7 January 1998 (age 27)	36	15	Selangor
9	4FW	Romel Morales	(1997-08-23) 23 August 1997 (age 28)	9	2	Johor Darul Ta'zim
11	4FW	Imanol Machuca	(2000-01-15) 15 January 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Vélez Sarsfield
12	4FW	Arif Aiman	(2002-05-04) 4 May 2002 (age 23)	35	7	Johor Darul Ta'zim
14	4FW	João Figueiredo	(1996-05-27) 27 May 1996 (age 29)	1	1	Johor Darul Ta'zim
17	4FW	Paulo Josué (third captain)	(1989-03-13) 13 March 1989 (age 36)	25	9	Kuala Lumpur City
19	4FW	Rodrigo Holgado	(1995-06-28) 28 June 1995 (age 30)	1	1	América de Cali

Recent call-ups

The following footballers were part of national selection in the past twelve months, but are not part of the current call-up.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Azri Ghani	(1999-04-30) 30 April 1999 (age 26)	2	0	Negeri Sembilan	v.  Vietnam, 10 June 2025 PRE
GK	Kalamullah Al-Hafiz	(1995-07-30) 30 July 1995 (age 30)	2	0	Selangor	v.    Nepal, 25 March 2025
DF	Shahrul Saad	(1993-07-08) 8 July 1993 (age 32)	60	5	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v.  Vietnam, 10 June 2025 PRE
DF	Junior Eldstål	(1991-09-16) 16 September 1991 (age 33)	23	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v.  Vietnam, 10 June 2025 PRE
DF	Daniel Ting	(1992-12-01) 1 December 1992 (age 32)	16	1	Sabah	v.  Vietnam, 10 June 2025 PRE
DF	Dominic Tan	(1997-03-12) 12 March 1997 (age 28)	37	0	Sabah	v.  Cape Verde, 29 May 2025 PRE
DF	Khuzaimi Piee	(1993-11-11) 11 November 1993 (age 31)	12	0	Negeri Sembilan	2024 ASEAN Championship
DF	Azam Azmi	(2001-02-12) 12 February 2001 (age 24)	13	0	Terengganu	v.  India, 18 November 2024
DF	Syahmi Safari	(1998-02-05) 5 February 1998 (age 27)	26	1	Johor Darul Ta'zim	2023 AFC Asian Cup INJ
MF	Afiq Fazail	(1994-09-29) 29 September 1994 (age 30)	7	0	Johor Darul Ta'zim	v.  Vietnam, 10 June 2025 PRE
MF	Syamer Kutty Abba	(1997-10-01) 1 October 1997 (age 27)	42	2	Kuala Lumpur City	v.  Cape Verde, 29 May 2025
MF	Ezequiel Agüero	(1994-04-07) 7 April 1994 (age 31)	17	3	Kanchanaburi Power	2024 ASEAN Championship
MF	Brendan Gan	(1988-06-03) 3 June 1988 (age 37)	37	1	Sutherland Sharks	v.  Chinese Taipei, 11 June 2024
FW	Safawi Rasid	(1997-03-05) 5 March 1997 (age 28)	68	22	Kuala Lumpur City	v.  Vietnam, 10 June 2025 PRE
FW	Akhyar Rashid	(1999-05-01) 1 May 1999 (age 26)	56	10	Terengganu	v.    Nepal, 25 March 2025
FW	Syafiq Ahmad	(1995-06-28) 28 June 1995 (age 30)	43	11	DPMM	2024 ASEAN Championship
FW	Darren Lok	(1990-12-14) 14 December 1990 (age 34)	38	6	Sabah	2024 ASEAN Championship Notes INJ = Player withdrew from the current squad due to injury. PRE = Preliminary or stand-by squad. RET = Player has retired from national team. WD = Player withdrew from the current squad due to a non-injury issue.

Player Records

These records are for players who represented Malaysia since 1963. Players in bold are still active with the team.

Most Appearances

Soh Chin Ann is Malaysia's most capped player with 195 appearances.

Top Goalscorers

Mokhtar Dahari is Malaysia's top scorer with 89 goals.

Competitive Record

     Champion       Runners-up       Third place

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1962	Part of Malaya
1966 to 1970	Did not enter
1974 to 2022	Did not qualify
2026	Did not qualify
Total	0/15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

AFC Asian Cup

AFC Asian Cup
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1976	Group stage	5th of 6	2	0	1	1	1	3
1980	Group stage	6th of 10	4	1	2	1	5	5
1984 to 2004	Did not qualify
2007	Group stage	16th of 16	3	0	0	3	1	12
2011 to 2019	Did not qualify
2023	Group stage	21st of 24	3	0	1	2	3	8
Total	4/18	Best: 5th	12	1	4	7	10	28

ASEAN Championship

ASEAN Championship
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1996	Runners-up	2nd	6	3	2	1	18	4
1998	Group stage	6th	3	0	1	2	0	3
2000	Third place	3rd	6	4	1	1	12	4
2002	Fourth place	4th	5	2	1	2	9	5
2004	Third place	3rd	7	5	0	2	14	9
2007	Semi-finals	4th	5	1	3	1	6	3
2008	Group stage	5th	3	1	0	2	5	6
2010	Champions	1st	7	3	2	2	12	8
2012	Semi-finals	4th	5	2	1	2	7	7
2014	Runners-up	2nd	7	3	1	3	13	12
2016	Group stage	5th	3	1	0	2	3	4
2018	Runners-up	2nd	8	3	3	2	11	8
2020	Group stage	6th	4	2	0	2	8	8
2022	Semi-finals	3rd	6	4	0	2	11	7
2024	Group stage	5th	4	1	2	1	5	5
Total	15/15	Best: 1st	79	35	17	27	134	93

Honours

Continental

• Asian Games
  • Bronze medal (1): 1974

Regional

• ASEAN Championship
  • Champions (1): 2010
  • Runners-up (3): 1996, 2014, 2018
  • Third place (2): 2000, 2004
• Southeast Asian Games
  • Gold medal (4): 1961, 1977, 1979, 1989
  • Silver medal (4): 1971, 1975, 1981, 1987
  • Bronze medal (5): 1969, 1973, 1983, 1985

Friendly Tournaments

• Merdeka Tournament (8): 1968, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979 (shared), 1986, 1993, 2024
• King's Cup (4): 1972, 1976 (shared), 1977 (shared), 1978

See Also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Malasia para niños

• Malaysia national football team results
• Malaysia national under-23 football team
• Malaysia national under-22 football team
• Malaysia national under-19 football team
• Malaysia national under-16 football team
• Malaysia women's national football team
• Malaysia national futsal team
• Malaysia women's national futsal team
• Malaysia League XI
• Football Association of Malaysia
• List of Malaysia footballers born outside Malaysia