Few, if any, had expected that the 47th Asean Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre would set in motion a flurry of messages among top football officials in the region.

The reason? An announcement by football’s world governing body Fifa on Oct 26 on the launch of a

new tournament for all 11 South-east Asian teams, the Fifa Asean Cup

The fraternity was caught off guard by the news, as the gathering of Asean nations brings together the region’s top political leaders to discuss typically economic, political and security matters, not sport.

The announcement was made by Fifa president Gianni Infantino after signing a memorandum of understanding on football development between the federation and Asean.

While Infantino and Fifa did not provide details about the tournament, including its kick-off date, they said that the Fifa Asean Cup “will be a great addition to the regional football calendar” and “allow the best players in the Asean region to shine on the global stage”.

But, with South-east Asia already hosting the biennial Asean Championship – long regarded as the region’s premier football tournament since the first edition in 1996 – does it really need the Fifa Asean Cup?

Before looking at whether the region needs another tournament, it is important to understand why South-east Asia has piqued the interest of the world body.

Several experts whom The Straits Times spoke to said that Fifa’s announcement is a “clear sign” that football in this region is being taken more seriously than before.

Beyond its growing importance to global trade, South-east Asia is also home to about 700 million people, who share a huge passion for football.

In March 2024, 57,696 spectators ...