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Paul McNamara

The promoter responsible for the 2025 Lunar New Year Cup has promised that “top European teams” will play at Kai Tak Stadium next year.
Paul Kam, the chairman of organisers ProEvents, has gone down the legends route for the second straight New Year Cup.
Kaka, Didier Drogba, David Silva and Rivaldo are among the World Legends team that will tackle a Hong Kong Legends side at Hong Kong Stadium on February 1.
Asked how much it had cost him to attract the retired stars, Kam said he would “rather not put a price on it”.
The match will follow hot on the heels of a meeting between two teams of former Real Madrid and Barcelona players at the same venue in December. Last year’s Lunar New Year Cup was staged weeks after a masters exhibition game in Hong Kong.
Kam said it would be a “no brainer” to take the Lunar New Year match to Kai Tak from 2026. Before then, however, he said the “top-of-the-world facility”, which is poised to open in early 2025, would give him a stronger hand when trying to attract major clubs.

“There will be top European teams coming to Hong Kong next summer,” Kam said.
“We are talking to a lot of clubs, like we always do … hopefully, we can bring one or two teams here.”
The last Premier League visitors to Hong Kong were Manchester City in 2019, but Kam declined to say whether English top-flight teams were among the candidates to come next year. Atletico Madrid, of Spain’s La Liga, played a preseason game in Hong Kong this year.
The 2024 Lunar New Year Cup attracted 20,340 fans to Hong Kong Stadium. Tickets for that match were priced between HK$180 and HK$980 (US$23 and US$126).
The cheapest ticket for the 2025 edition is HK$380, with the costliest HK$1,280. A HK$30 handling fee applies to each ticket.
“This will be the last Lunar New Year Cup at Hong Kong Stadium, so we hope people go back one more time,” Kam said.
“We are aiming for a full house, but realistically, people plan Lunar New Year away from Hong Kong, so we’re looking at maybe 30,000
“I am not sure if we will make a profit … we will see.”

Kam said he had “tried to keep the pricing as low as possible”, while he was still hoping to add to a healthy sponsorship roster, led by headline sponsors FWD Insurance.
He acknowledged that luring marquee names to the city did not come cheap.
“We look after them … we mainly get them here to promote Hong Kong.” Kam said.
“Last year, [former Barcelona player Carles] Puyol brought his wife and two daughters, and I paid for it.
“Fifa dates rule out bringing national teams, and clubs are still playing in Europe, which rules out top teams like Barcelona and Manchester United. We have had Asian clubs, but they don’t have this wow factor. Players like Rivaldo and Kaka have huge social media reach, draw and power, so they come here and broadcast Hong Kong to the world.”
The World Legends team will feature four Brazilian 2002 World Cup winners in Rivaldo, Lucio, Kaka and Cafu. Their teammates will include former Manchester United players Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
“I bumped into Cafu in Bangkok and showed him what we did last year, so it was very easy to get him,” Kam said.
“Those Manchester United players are easy – I just pick up the phone and ask them to come.”


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The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

Could Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Manchester United be set for Kai Tak Stadium in 2025?

Kaka is among the World Legends team set to play in the 2025 Chinese New Year Cup. Photo: AFP

Juan Sebastian Veron (right) in action during the 2024 Lunar New Year Cup. Photo: Sam Tsang

Atletico Madrid (stripes) played Kitchee in a preseason game at Hong Kong Stadium this year. Photo: Sam Tsang

‘Game-changing’ Kai Tak Sports Park ‘will attract mega live events’ to ‘unique’ Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s new Kai Tak stadium will be key to hosting mega-events in the coming years. Photo: Sam Tsang

Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground is set for its second test event on Saturday. Photo: Sam Tsang

Drivers compete for position at the start of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Photo: EPA-EFE

Westwood ‘pushing’ Hong Kong football bosses to improve, insists assistant will stay

Ashley Westwood issues instructions to his players prior to last month’s clash with Liechtenstein. Photo: HKFA

Hong Kong star vowing to provide ‘more aggression’, help team up climb Fifa world rankings

Jesse Yu (right) is beginning to establish himself in Hong Kong’s midfield. Photo: Elson Li

Yu (left) is an integral part of the Eastern side doing battle on multiple fronts this season. Photo: Eastern FC

The grounded Yu tries to protect the ball during Eastern’s ACL2 game with Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Photo: Elson Li

Chancy Cooke up for HKFC ‘fight against odds’ after rubbing shoulders with Premier League stars

Chancey Cooke is working in his first senior head coach role after following an unconventional career path.

Cooke spent three months helping re-dgredge the harbour of the remote island of Tristan da Cunha.

Cooke is still working with HKFC youth sides despite being appointed first-team head coach.

Cooke and his players celebrate their first win of the season, against North District, on Sunday.

Sport

Football

World Legends team featuring Rivaldo, David Silva and Didier Drogba as well to face Hong Kong legends side in 2025 Lunar New Year Cup


World Legends team featuring Rivaldo, David Silva and Didier Drogba as well to face Hong Kong legends side in 2025 Lunar New Year Cup.
