September 8, 2025 | 11:16am
MANILA, Philippines — Final week marked a milestone for Asian soccer because the World Soccer Summit (WFS) made Hong Kong the vacation spot for its Asia enlargement. Bringing traders, innovators and passionate followers gathered at AsiaWorld-Expo on September 3-4, rubbing shoulders with iconic gamers reminiscent of former England and Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand, former Chelsea and England captain John Terry and Croatia’s all-time high scorer Davor Šuker.
Hong Kong, has established itself as Asia’s premier showcase for soccer, having held a sequence of high-profile occasions — from Manchester United Tour of Asia 2025 in Might to the Hong Kong Soccer Pageant 2025 in July, that welcomed 4 of the world’s high soccer golf equipment, Liverpool FC, AC Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, and most lately The Saudi Tremendous Cup in August, the place Cristiano Ronaldo swelled soccer fandom, not solely within the metropolis however throughout the area.
Anthony Lau, govt director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board acknowledged, “The World Soccer Summit is among the world’s most influential soccer conventions. Being the host metropolis, Hong Kong demonstrates its more and more influential function on the worldwide sports activities scene as a great host metropolis for each sports activities occasions and MICE occasions for the sports activities trade. HKTB additionally prolonged its heat hospitality by thoughtfully arranging immersive excursions of Hong Kong for the visiting soccer legends and Summit company, enriching their enterprise journey expertise.”
At WFS, future-shaping insights from the trade’s senior executives and thought-leaders had been shared, masking worldwide enlargement, Asia’s rising affect within the world recreation, youth improvement, grassroots pathways, digital transformation, funding, expertise, AI, sustainability and neighborhood affect.
Soccer icons and world decision-makers of the game additionally scored distinctive ends in charting the enterprise way forward for the game, whereas fan engagement was kicked into excessive gear by means of an energy-filled soccer pageant for all.
“With our debut in Hong Kong, we’re not solely bringing that very same power to Asia — we’re constructing a platform for long-term collaboration, funding, and innovation within the area’s recreation. We imagine Hong Kong can grow to be a bridge between East and West for soccer, driving progress and unlocking new alternatives for the sport throughout the area,” stated Jan Alessie, Co-Founder and Managing Director of WFS.
Past impactful discussions and high-level enterprise networking, WFS VIPs and the soccer legends had been handled to traditional Hong Kong experiences, courtesy of the HKTB. They’d an in depth encounter with Hong Kong’s iconic skyline by taking a journey on the town’s historic tram and an open-top bus, savoured conventional dim sum by means of a customized hospitality expertise.
Right here’s hoping that extra occasions like these come in the direction of this a part of the world and the Philippines collaborates with these endeavors as a result of they unite communities and unlock world alternatives.
