 | |||
| Association | Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) 中國香港足球總會 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | EAFF (East Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Vacant | ||
| Captain | Yapp Hung Fai | ||
| Mostcaps | Yapp Hung Fai (112) | ||
| Top scorer | Chan Siu Ki (37) | ||
| Home stadium | Hong Kong Stadium Kai Tak Sports Park | ||
| FIFA code | HKG | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 153 5 (19 November 2025)[1] | ||
| Highest | 90 (21 February 1996) | ||
| Lowest | 172 (7 November 2012) | ||
| First international | |||
 South Korea 3–3Hong Kong  (Manila,Philippines; 2 May 1954) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
 Hong Kong 15–0Guam  (Taipei,Taiwan; 7 March 2005)[2] | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 China 7–0Hong Kong (Guangzhou,China; 17 November 2004) Hong Kong 0–7Paraguay  (So Kon Po,Hong Kong; 17 November 2010) Hong Kong 0–7Argentina  (So Kon Po,Hong Kong; 14 October 2014) | |||
| Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 4 (first in1956) | ||
| Best result | Third place (1956) | ||
| EAFF E-1 Football Championship | |||
| Appearances | 5 (first in2003) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2003,2010,2019,2022,2025) | ||
Medal record | |||
TheHong Kong national football team (Chinese:香港足球代表隊;Cantonese Yale:Hēunggóng jūkkàuh doihbíu deuih; recognised asHong Kong, China byFIFA) representsHong Kong in internationalfootball and is controlled by theFootball Association of Hong Kong, China, the governing body forfootball in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong hosted the firstAFC Asian Cup in 1956 and won third place, also reaching the semifinals in 1964. Hong Kong did not qualify for another AFC tournament until2023. They had never qualified for theFIFA World Cup but have qualified for theEAFF E-1 Football Championship five times, in 2003, 2010, 2019, 2022 and 2025.
Before Hong Kong became a member of FIFA in 1954, Hong Kong began playing in theHong Kong–Macau Interport tournament in 1937,[4] which was one of the oldest competitions co-held by Hong Kong as well as continuously played. There were other interport tournaments in the past, such as the Shanghai-Hong Kong Interport which was first held in 1908.[5] At that time the team was composed of ethnic Chinese as well as western expatriates, as in the 1935 and 1937 edition of Shanghai-Hong Kong Interport.[6][7] There was another Interport tournament against Saigon.[8] The aforementioned Macau, Shanghai and Saigon were not a member of FIFA nor a sovereign nation at that time, with Hong Kong and Macau only having joined FIFA in 1954 and 1978 respectively.
TheChina national team that participated in1936 and1948 Summer Olympics, were mainly composed of ethnic Chinese players from Hong Kong, most famouslyLee Wai Tong.[9][10] After WWII, a number of Shanghai-based players began representing Hong Kong, such asChang King Hai andHsu King Shing.
TheHong Kong FA became a member ofFIFA and theAsian Football Confederation in 1954. Since then Hong Kong played their first FIFA-recognised international match against other countries. The HKFA also sent ascratch team for1957 Merdeka Tournament, which was composed of players fromEastern due to their proximity, plus few players from other clubs. The club was having a pre-season tour in South Asia, thus the HKFA invited the club to represent Hong Kong. However, some of the players were in fact ineligible to play for Hong Kong, as they were ROC (Taiwan) international players.[11][12]
Hong Kong qualified for three of the first four editions of theAsian Cup, including a third-place finish inthe 1956 edition as host. At that time, most Hong Kong players representedRepublic of China; they finished third in the Asian Cup inthe 1960 edition, leaving more inferior players to the proper Hong Kong team.[13]
The 1998 World Cup Asian qualifiers was considered one of Hong Kong's darkest moments as it was hit by a match-fixing scandal that involved former Sing Tao striker Chan Tsz-Kong who was found guilty and jailed for a year after he bribed players to throw and lose a match against Thailand. Others who were involved include goalkeeper Kevin Lok Kar-Win, defenders Chan Chi-Keung and Lau Chi Yuen and striker Wai Kwan-Lung.[14]
In 2015, a short football fever appeared during the2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in Hong Kong under the guidance ofKim Pan Gon, as Hong Kong had been drawn into the same group with their fierce rival,China. Due to the tensions built up from the Hong Kong–Mainland China conflict, many local citizens became interested in this year's campaign; all four home matches were recorded as a sellout. Hong Kong ended the campaign with 4 victories againstBhutan andMaldives, 2 scoreless draws againstChina, and 2 losses againstQatar.
In late 2018, after the sudden departure ofKim Pan-gon, English coachGary White was hired as the new head coach in which under his guidance, he helped Hong Kong secure qualification for their third appearance at the EAFF E-1 Football Championship finals after a narrow win againstChiense Taipei, a draw againstNorth Korea and a heavy win againstMongolia. Shortly afterwards, White departed from the role.
In April 2019, Hong Kong appointed Finnish coachMixu Paatelainen as the new head coach of the national football team in time for the2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship tournament. His first game in charge ended in a disappointing and surprising loss at home during friendly international againstChiense Taipei.[15] After a run of poor performances throughout the World Cup qualifiers and the 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, Mixu Paatelainen's contract was not renewed.
On 13 December 2021, Norwegian coachJørn Andersen who formerly guidedNorth Korea was named as the new head coach succeedingMixu Paatelainen in preparation for thethird round of qualification of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[16] He guided Hong Kong to qualify for the2023 AFC Asian Cup by beatingAfghanistan 2–1 andCambodia 3–0, reaching the final tournament after a 55-year absence.[17]
On 15 January 2024, Hong Kong then kicked off their2023 Asian Cup campaign againstUAE in which they lost 3–1 in the opening match whereChan Siu Kwan scored the 1,000th goal in the AFC Asian Cup history.[18] They eventually finished the campaign at the bottom of their group after losses againstIran (0–1) andPalestine (0–3).
On 29 May 2024, Jørn Andersen announced his resignation as head coach of the Hong Kong national team after over 2 years in charge.[19] On 28 August 2024, English managerAshley Westwood was appointed as the new head coach of the Hong Kong national football team, succeeding Jørn Andersen.[20] In September 2024, Hong Kong travelled to Fiji and played two friendly matches against Oceania countries,Solomon Islands andFiji. In October 2024, the team also travelled to Europe for the first time where they played againstLiechtenstein. On 8 December 2024,Yapp Hung Fai became the first-ever Hong Kong player to reach 100 international caps againstMongolia during the2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Round.
On 10 June 2025, Hong Kong played their2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification home game againstIndia at theKai Tak Stadium, which resulted in a 1–0 win for the hosts in the stadium's maiden official football match.[21] All tickets were sold out and a new attendance record was set for a Hong Kong football match with 42,570 spectators.[22][23]
After securing a win and a draw against Bangladesh, Hong Kong required to win the penultimate tie against Singapore on 18 November 2025 at Kai Tak Stadium in order to secure qualification to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup finals.
However, Hong Kong succumbed to a 1–2 loss against Singapore which meant that they missed out on qualification. On 24 November, the Hong Kong Football Association announced that head coach Ashley Westwood stepped down from the role after failing to secure qualification.[24]
The national team's home kit is typically a red shirt, red shorts, and red or white socks, while the away kit features white shirts, white shorts, and red or white socks.
| Kit supplier | Period |
|---|---|
 Puma | 1970s–1998 |
| Adidas | 1998 |
 Diadora | 2000–2005 |
| Adidas | 2005–2011 |
 Nike | 2011–present |
| Kit supplier | Period | Contract announcement | Contract duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nike | 2011–present | 1 July 2011 | July 2011 – July 2016 (5 years) |
| 24 August 2016 | August 2016 – 2025 (10 years)[25] | ||
| 27 February 2025 | February 2025 – 2035 (10 years)[26] |
The crest of the Hong Kong national football team features aChinese dragon. This logo has consistently been used as the team's emblem. The HKFA emblem was not used on jerseys until 31 May 2011, HKFA debuted current emblem for the national team.
The team's primary stadium isHong Kong Stadium. For selected friendly matches[27] and minor qualification matches, the Hong Kong team plays most often at theKai Tak Sports Park in Kowloon, which was opened in 2025.
TheJockey Club HKFA Football Training Centre is currently the main training ground for the Hong Kong national and youth teams.
Hong Kong maintains a specific rivalry withChina. The rivalry began in 1978 and on 19 May 1985, Hong Kong produced a shock 2–1 upset in Beijing in the1986 World Cup qualifying game, leading to unrest by Chinese supporters.[28]
Since then, China was unbeaten against to Hong Kong but the rivalry continues and even got heated up since the conflict between Hong Kong and China in the 2010s.[29][30][31]
On 1 January 2024, Hong Kong defeated China 2–1 in a closed door FIFA international friendly, marking their first victory in 29 years.[32][33]
TheHong Kong–Macau rivalry has been contested byHong Kong Football Association andMacau Football Association since 1937.
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss
v Hong Kong| 8 December2025 EAFF E-1 Preliminary | Mongolia | 0–3 | Hong Kong | Mong Kok, Hong Kong |
| 18:00 UTC+8 | Report | Stadium:Mong Kok Stadium Attendance: 3,329 Referee: Wiwat Jumpaoon (Thailand) |
v
Chinese Taipei| 14 December2025 EAFF E-1 Preliminary | Hong Kong | 2–1 | Chinese Taipei | Mong Kok, Hong Kong |
| 20:00 UTC+8 |
| Report |
| Stadium:Mong Kok Stadium Attendance: 5,637 Referee: Chae Sang-hyeop (South Korea) |
v Hong Kong| 17 December2025 EAFF E-1 Preliminary | Guam | 0–5 | Hong Kong | So Kon Po, Hong Kong |
| 20:00 UTC+8 | Report |
| Stadium:Hong Kong Stadium Attendance: 8,236 Referee: Wiwat Jumpaoon (Thailand) |
v
Macau| 19 MarchFriendly | Hong Kong | 2–0 | Macau | Mong Kok, Hong Kong |
| 20:00 UTC+8 | Report | Stadium:Mong Kok Stadium Attendance: 5,464 Referee: Hoàng Ngọc Hà (Vietnam) |
v Hong Kong| 25 March2027 ACQ R3 | Singapore | 0–0 | Hong Kong | Kallang, Singapore |
| 20:30 UTC+8 | ReportReport (AFC) | Stadium:National Stadium Attendance: 8,064 Referee: Chae Sang-hyeop (South Korea) |
v
Nepal| 5 JuneFriendly | Hong Kong | 0–0 | Nepal | So Kon Po, Hong Kong |
| 20:00 UTC+8 | Report | Stadium:Hong Kong Stadium Attendance: 6,092 Referee: Mongkolchai Pechsri (Thailand) |
v
India| 10 June2027 ACQ R3 | Hong Kong | 1–0 | India | Kowloon, Hong Kong |
| 20:00 UTC+8 | ReportReport (AFC) | Stadium:Kai Tak Stadium Attendance: 42,570 Referee: Alaedin Ahmad (Lebanon) |
v Hong Kong| 8 July2025 EAFF E-1 | Japan | 6–1 | Hong Kong | Yongin, South Korea |
| 19:24 UTC+9 | Report |
| Stadium:Yongin Mireu Stadium Attendance: 687 Referee:Thoriq Alkatiri (Indonesia) |
v
South Korea| 11 July2025 EAFF E-1 | Hong Kong | 0–2 | South Korea | Yongin, South Korea |
| 20:00 UTC+9 | Report |
| Stadium:Yongin Mireu Stadium Attendance: 5,521 Referee: Ahmad A'Qashah (Singapore) |
v Hong Kong| 15 July2025 EAFF E-1 | China | 1–0 | Hong Kong | Yongin, South Korea |
| 16:00 UTC+9 |
| Report | Stadium:Yongin Mireu Stadium Attendance: 1,423 Referee: Ngo Duy Lan (Vietnam) |
v Hong Kong| 4 September2025 King's Cup | Iraq | 2–1 | Hong Kong | Kanchanaburi, Thailand |
| 16:00 UTC+7 |
| Report | Stadium:Kanchanaburi Province Stadium Referee: Mongkolchai Pechsri (Thailand) |
v Hong Kong| 7 September2025 King's Cup | Fiji | 0–8 | Hong Kong | Kanchanaburi, Thailand |
| 16:00 UTC+7 | Report |
| Stadium:Kanchanaburi Province Stadium Attendance: 3,275 Referee: Torphong Somsing (Thailand) |
v Hong Kong| 9 October2027 ACQ R3 | Bangladesh | 3–4 | Hong Kong | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| 20:00 UTC+6 | Report Report (AFC) | Stadium:National Stadium Attendance: 22,343 Referee: Saud Al Samhan (Kuwait) |
v Bangladesh| 14 October2027 ACQ R3 | Hong Kong | 1–1 | Bangladesh | Kowloon, Hong Kong |
| 20:00 UTC+8 | Report Report (AFC) |
| Stadium:Kai Tak Stadium Attendance: 45,489 Referee: Hiroki Kasahara (Japan) |
v
Cambodia| 13 NovemberFriendly | Hong Kong | 1–1 | Cambodia | So Kon Po, Hong Kong |
| 20:00 UTC+8 |
| Report |
| Stadium:Hong Kong Stadium Attendance: 7,480 Referee: Lê Vũ Linh (Vietnam) |
v Singapore| 18 November2027 ACQ R3 | Hong Kong | 1–2 | Singapore | Kowloon, Hong Kong |
| 20:00 UTC+8 |
| Report | Stadium:Kai Tak Stadium Attendance: 47,762 Referee: Sivakorn Pu-udom (Thailand) |
v Hong Kong| 31 March2027 ACQ R3 | India | v | Hong Kong | Kolkata, India |
| --:-- UTC+5:30 | Stadium:Salt Lake Stadium |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Vacant |
| Assistant Coach |  Matthew Holland |
 Darren James Arnott | |
| Chris Neville | |
| Technical Director | John Morling |
| Executive Manager | Graeme Chan |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Fan Chun Yip |
| U23 Head Coach | Darren James Arnott |
| Head of Sports Science | Vacant |
| Analyst | Anson Lee |
| Team Doctor | Dr. Wan Hay Man Keith |
| Fitness Coach | Stephen Wong |
| Administration and Equipment Team | Cheung Tim Ho Andrew |
| Samuel Chow | |
| Lau Chun Yip Tom | |
| Gavin Yeung | |
| Team Physio | Lo Ho Cheung Dennis |
| Kwong Hoi Hang Karen | |
| Leung Hok Hin Frankie | |
| Team Masseur | Wong Yi Sum |
| Name | Coaching career | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Points per game[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Keen | 1948 | ||||||
 Tom Sneddon | 1954–1956 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 16.7 | 1.17 |
  Lai Shiu Wing | 1958–1967 | 43 | 16 | 6 | 21 | 37.2 | 1.26 |
| Fei Chun Wah[b] | 1964 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.20 |
| Chu Wing Keung | 1967 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.00 |
| Tang Sum | 1968 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.20 |
| Lau Tim | 1968 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.60 |
| Hsu King Shing | 1969–1970 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.33 |
| Chan Fai Hung | 1970–1972 | 23 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 30.4 | 1.04 |
| Ho Ying Fun | 1973–1975 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 39.1 | 1.43 |
 Frans van Balkom | 1976–1977 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 33.3 | 1.10 |
 Chan Yong Chong | 1978–1979 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 57.1 | 1.86 |
 Peter McParland | 1980 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25.0 | 0.75 |
| George Knobel | 1980–1981 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 28.6 | 1.14 |
| Kwok Ka Ming | 1982–1990 1997 | 47 | 16 | 11 | 20 | 34.0 | 1.26 |
| Wong Man Wai | 1991–1992 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.00 |
| Chan Hung Ping | 1993 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 20.0 | 0.80 |
| Koo Luam Khen | 1994–1995 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 25.0 | 0.88 |
| Tsang Wai Chung | 1996 2010–2011 | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 28.9 | 1.08 |
 Sebastian Araujo | 1998–2000 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.17 |
| Arie van der Zouwen | 2000–2002 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 23.1 | 0.85 |
| Casemiro Mior | 2002 | ||||||
| Lai Sun Cheung | 2003–2006 2007 | 45 | 15 | 9 | 21 | 33.3 | 1.20 |
| Lee Kin WoChan Hiu Ming | 2007 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 40.0 | 1.20 |
 Dejan Antonić Goran Paulić[34] | 2008–2009 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50.0 | 1.50 |
| Liu Chun Fai | 2011–2012 2018 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 50.0 | 1.75 |
 Ernie Merrick | 2012 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 40.0 | 1.20 |
| Kim Pan-gon | 2009–2010 2012–2017 | 58 | 21 | 13 | 24 | 36.2 | 1.31 |
| Gary White | 2018 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 40.0 | 1.60 |
 Mixu Paatelainen | 2019–2021 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8.3 | 0.42 |
 Jørn Andersen | 2021–2024 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 24.0 | 0.88 |
 Wolfgang Luisser | 2024 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 25.0 | 1.25 |
| Ashley Westwood | 2024–2025 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 50.0 | 1.70 |
Last updated: Hong Kong 1–2Singapore, 18 November 2025. Statistics include international "A" matches only.
The following 23 players have been named in the squad for2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification match againstSingapore on 18 November 2025.
Caps and goals as of 18 November 2025 after the match againstSingapore.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Ng Wai Him | (2002-06-30)30 June 2002 (age 23) | 1 | 0 | Southern |
| 18 | 1GK | Tse Ka Wing | (1999-09-04)4 September 1999 (age 26) | 10 | 0 | Tai Po |
| 19 | 1GK | Wang Zhenpeng | (1984-05-05)5 May 1984 (age 41) | 8 | 0 | Kitchee |
| 2 | 2DF | Vas Nuñez | (1995-11-22)22 November 1995 (age 30) | 15 | 0 | Yanbian Longding |
| 4 | 2DF | Leon Jones | (1998-02-28)28 February 1998 (age 27) | 20 | 1 | Eastern District |
| 5 | 2DF | Dudu | (1990-04-17)17 April 1990 (age 35) | 6 | 1 | Lee Man |
| 17 | 2DF | Shinichi Chan | (2002-09-05)5 September 2002 (age 23) | 34 | 1 | Shanghai Shenhua |
| 21 | 2DF | Yue Tze Nam | (1998-05-12)12 May 1998 (age 27) | 39 | 0 | Meizhou Hakka |
| 23 | 2DF | Sun Ming Him | (2000-06-19)19 June 2000 (age 25) | 42 | 2 | Tianjin Jinmen Tiger |
| 2 | 3MF | Barak Braunshtain | (1999-06-10)10 June 1999 (age 26) | 0 | 0 | Lee Man |
| 6 | 3MF | Tan Chun Lok | (1996-01-15)15 January 1996 (age 29) | 59 | 3 | Kitchee |
| 7 | 3MF | Juninho | (1990-12-11)11 December 1990 (age 34) | 25 | 4 | Kitchee |
| 8 | 3MF | Ngan Cheuk Pan | (1998-01-22)22 January 1998 (age 27) | 22 | 0 | Tai Po |
| 10 | 3MF | Wong Wai | (1992-09-17)17 September 1992 (age 33) | 60 | 7 | Lee Man |
| 12 | 3MF | Fernando | (1986-11-14)14 November 1986 (age 39) | 25 | 1 | Tai Po |
| 13 | 3MF | Stefan Pereira | (1988-04-16)16 April 1988 (age 37) | 21 | 1 | Southern |
| 14 | 3MF | Yu Joy Yin | (2001-10-08)8 October 2001 (age 24) | 19 | 2 | Shijiazhuang Gongfu |
| 16 | 3MF | Chan Siu Kwan | (1992-08-01)1 August 1992 (age 33) | 34 | 7 | Tai Po |
| 9 | 4FW | Matt Orr | (1997-01-01)1 January 1997 (age 28) | 46 | 13 | Shenzhen Peng City |
| 11 | 4FW | Everton Camargo | (1991-05-25)25 May 1991 (age 34) | 23 | 11 | Lee Man |
| 15 | 4FW | Lau Ka Kiu | (2002-02-10)10 February 2002 (age 23) | 7 | 0 | Lee Man |
| 20 | 4FW | Michael Udebuluzor | (2004-04-01)1 April 2004 (age 21) | 21 | 2 |  Tallinna Kalev |
| 22 | 4FW | Raphaël Merkies | (2002-04-15)15 April 2002 (age 23) | 8 | 5 | Shandong Taishan |
The following players have been called up for the team within the previous 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Oleksii Shliakotin | (1989-09-02)2 September 1989 (age 36) | 0 | 0 | HKFC | v. Bangladesh, 14 October 2025 |
| GK | Yapp Hung Fai | (1990-03-21)21 March 1990 (age 35) | 112 | 0 | Eastern | v. Bangladesh, 9 October 2025INJ |
| DF | Nicholas Benavides | (2001-11-05)5 November 2001 (age 24) | 10 | 2 | Tai Po | v. Cambodia, 13 November 2025 |
| DF | Alexander Jojo | (1999-02-11)11 February 1999 (age 26) | 7 | 0 | Shanghai Port | v. Cambodia, 13 November 2025 |
| DF | Oliver Gerbig | (1998-12-12)12 December 1998 (age 26) | 28 | 0 | Henan | v. Bangladesh, 14 October 2025 |
| DF | Clement Benhaddouche | (1996-05-11)11 May 1996 (age 29) | 2 | 0 | Shenzhen Juniors | v. Fiji, 7 September 2025 |
| DF | Tsui Wang Kit | (1997-01-05)5 January 1997 (age 28) | 28 | 1 | Yunnan Yukun | 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Final round |
| DF | Lee Ka Ho | (1993-04-26)26 April 1993 (age 32) | 0 | 0 | Tai Po | 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Final round |
| MF | Mahama Awal | (1991-06-10)10 June 1991 (age 34) | 15 | 0 | Southern | v. Bangladesh, 14 October 2025 |
| MF | Sohgo Ichikawa | (2004-07-30)30 July 2004 (age 21) | 2 | 0 | Southern | 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Final round |
| FW | Manolo Bleda | (1990-07-31)31 July 1990 (age 35) | 3 | 0 | Eastern | v. Bangladesh, 14 October 2025 |
| FW | Ng Yu Hei | (2006-02-13)13 February 2006 (age 19) | 6 | 0 | Chongqing Tonglianglong | 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Final round |
| FW | Wong Ho Chun | (2002-04-02)2 April 2002 (age 23) | 2 | 0 | Qingdao Hainiu | v. India, 10 June 2025 |
| FW | Poon Pui Hin | (2000-10-03)3 October 2000 (age 25) | 16 | 3 | Lee Man | 2025 EAFF E-1 Championship Preliminary competition |
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury | ||||||
During the 1950s, Arthur Santos who is of British-Portuguese nationality (whose sonLeslie was a former Hong Kong international footballer) became the first naturalised player to represent the Hong Kong national football team who was then followed by another fellow Portuguese-born player named JH Toleido.[35]
In the 1960s, there were a couple more foreign players who had represented the Hong Kong national football team whilst some were working within the national service at the time. These include British players from T. Watson, Evans,Ken Wallis who went on to represent Hong Kong during the lawn bowls event during the1990 and1994 Commonwealth Games as well as Australian-born Pete McClaren and Scottish-bornCharlie Wright.[35]
In the late 1970s, Scottish-born playersDerek Currie, Dave Anderson and Hugh McCrory all became eligible to represent the Hong Kong national football team in which Currie and Anderson took part during the 1979 Asian Cup qualifiers whilst McCrory took part during the 1982 World Cup qualifiers.
There were at least a couple more naturalised players who went on to represent Hong Kong throughout the 90's which include Bosnian-bornAnto Grabo along with fellow English-born players Mark Grainger,John Moore and most notablyDale Tempest.Sung Lin Yung became the first mainland born player to represent Hong Kong during the 1998 World Cup Asian qualifiers having resided for more than two years under FIFA eligibility rules unlike foreign born players that would usually require at least seven years.
In the 2000s, a couple of African and Brazilian-born players were introduced went through the naturalisation process having met the residential criteria. Nigerian-bornLawrence Akandu obtained his Hong Kong citizenship in which he played for the national team during the2003 East Asia Cup finals where he scored a goal in a loss against South Korea. He was soon followed by Cameroon-bornGuy Gerard Ambassa who obtained his permanent residential status in 2005 along with another fellow Nigerian-born player namedColly Ezeh and Brazilian-bornCristiano Cordeiro in which both of whom earned international caps during the2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. Cordeiro was also the first non-Chinese captain in the history of the Hong Kong team during the 2008 East Asia Cup preliminary stages. Despite having played for the national team during the 2009 edition of theGuangdong-Hong Kong Cup, Cameroonian-bornJulius Akosah attempted to apply for a HKSAR passport, however his application was unsuccessful.
During the mid 2010s, there had been an increase of naturalised players being used to represent the national team in which former head coachKim Pan-gon stated that he needed to pick his best players regardless of their origin in preparation during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.[36]
These include the likes of European-born playersClement Benhaddouche,Manuel Bleda,Dani Cancela,Jaimes McKee,Raphael Merkies,Fernando Recio,Andy Russell,Jack Sealy,Jordi Tarrés andSean Tse, Brazilian-born playersEverton Camargo,Paulo César,Clayton,Dudu,Diego Eli,Fernando,Giovane,Helio,Itaparica,Juninho,Roberto Júnior,Tomas Maronesi,Paulinho,Stefan Pereira, andSandro, Asian-born playersJahangir Khan andYuto Nakamura, and African-born players fromWisdom Fofo Agbo,Alex Akande,Christian Annan,Mahama Awal,Festus Baise,Godfred Karikari,Jean-Jacques Kilama, andPaul Ngue.
In addition toSung Lin Yung, several other mainland born players went on to represent Hong Kong from past to present which includeBai He,Chao Pengfei,Deng Jinghuang, Feng Jizhi,Gao Wen,Li Haiqiang,Liu Quankun,Huang Yang,Ju Yingzhi,Wang Zhenpeng,Wei Zhao, Xiao Guoji,Xu Deshuai,Ye Jia, andZhang Chunhui.[37]
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Position | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yapp Hung Fai | 112 | 0 | GK | 2010–present |
| 2 | Huang Yang | 71 | 1 | MF | 2012–2023 |
| 3 | Lee Chi Ho | 70 | 0 | DF | 2000–2017 |
| 4 | Lee Wai Man | 68 | 2 | DF | 1993–2006 |
| 5 | Chan Siu Ki | 67 | 37 | FW | 2004–2017 |
| 6 | Chan Wai Ho | 65 | 6 | DF | 2000–2017 |
| 7 | Poon Yiu Cheuk | 62 | 4 | DF | 1998–2010 |
| 8 | Wong Wai | 60 | 7 | MF | 2013–present |
| 9 | Tan Chun Lok | 59 | 3 | MF | 2015–present |
| 10 | Tsang Ting Fai | 57 | 0 | DF | 1972–1980 |
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chan Siu Ki | 37 | 67 | 0.55 | 2004–2017 |
| 2 | Au Wai Lun | 26 | 50 | 0.52 | 1989–2005 |
| 3 | Lau Wing Yip | 24 | 39 | 0.62 | 1971–1986 |
| 4 | Wan Chi Keung | 18 | 32 | 0.56 | 1976–1986 |
| 5 | Chung Chor Wai | 16 | 45 | 0.36 | 1971–1979 |
| 6 | Ho Cheng Yau | 14 | 34 | 0.41 | 1956–1968 |
| Tim Bredbury | 14 | 34 | 0.41 | 1986–1999 | |
| 8 | Li Kwok Keung | 13 | 34 | 0.38 | 1964–1972 |
| Matt Orr | 13 | 46 | 0.28 | 2021–present | |
| 10 | Yu Kwok Kit | 12 | 13 | 0.92 | 1973–1977 |
| Kwok Ka Ming | 12 | 47 | 0.26 | 1968–1979 | |
| Jaimes McKee | 12 | 53 | 0.23 | 2012–2019 |
This list only records the players who were named as Hong Kong captain in official international competitions. First-choice captains always go first.
| FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1930 to 1954 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
 1958 to 1970 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
| 1974 | Did not qualify | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | ||||||||
| 1978 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 31 | |||||||||
 1982 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||
| 1986 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 7 | |||||||||
| 1990 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | |||||||||
| 1994 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 19 | |||||||||
 1998 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | |||||||||
 2002 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | |||||||||
| 2006 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 15 | |||||||||
 2010 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | |||||||||
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |||||||||
 2018 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 5 | |||||||||
 2022 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 13 | |||||||||
 2026 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 17 | |||||||||
  2030 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
 2034 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 89 | 25 | 18 | 46 | 103 | 158 | |
Main article:Hong Kong at the AFC Asian Cup
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| Minor tournaments | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 1965 Merdeka Tournament | Seventh place | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 9 |
| 1966 Merdeka Tournament | First round | 9 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| 1967 Merdeka Tournament | Sixth place | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 18 |
| 1970 Merdeka Tournament | Fourth place | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 14 |
| 1971 Merdeka Tournament | Eighth place | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
| 1972 Merdeka Tournament | Sixth place | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| 1974 Merdeka Tournament | Third place | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 1975 Merdeka Tournament | Fifth place | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 13 |
| 1977 Beijing Invited Tournament | Runners-up | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| 1983 Great Wall Cup | Eighth place | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 2006 Carlsberg Cup | Fourth place | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
 2011 Long Teng Cup | Winners | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
 2016 AYA Bank Cup | Fourth place | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 2024 Tri-Nations Series | Winners | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
 2025 King's Cup | Third Place | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| Total | 2 Titles | |||||||
Third place (1):1956
Champions (1): 2025 Third place (1):2025Only official honours are included, according toFIFA statutes (competitions organized/recognized byFIFA or an affiliated confederation).
| Competition |  |  |  | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Asian Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
{{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help)
| National teams | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League system |
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| Domestic cups | |||||
| Interport competitions | |||||
| Others | |||||
| Defunct competitions |
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| Rivalries | |||||
| Awards | |||||
| Lists | |||||
