The rain was coming down in sheets that evening at Mong Kok Stadium, but the stands were packed tighter than I’d ever seen them. I was huddled under a cheap umbrella, shoulder to shoulder with strangers who felt like family. We were there for more than just a football match—we were there for a story. And as the Hong Kong national team stepped onto that slick, gleaming pitch, you could feel it in the air: something was shifting. This wasn’t just another qualifier. This felt like the beginning of Hong Kong national football team’s journey to international recognition and success, a story decades in the making but only now starting to unfold under those bright, unforgiving floodlights.

I remember my grandfather telling me about the old days—when Hong Kong football was the talk of the town. Back in the 70s and 80s, local clubs like South China and Seiko were powerhouses, and the national side had its moments of brilliance. But as he’d say with that wistful look in his eyes, time moves on, and so does football. Leagues evolved, money flowed elsewhere, and for a while, it felt like Hong Kong had been left behind. But the rest of them were around to provide a piece of history and nostalgia to the event celebrating the league's golden anniversary. I think about that phrase a lot. It’s not just about remembering—it’s about carrying that legacy forward. And that night, watching our boys in red, I realized we weren’t just celebrating the past; we were building the future.

Let’s be real—Hong Kong isn’t Brazil or Germany. We don’t have a deep pool of world-class talent, and our FIFA ranking has hovered somewhere in the 140s for what feels like forever. But what we lack in sheer skill, we make up for in heart. I’ve followed this team through thick and thin—the humbling 7-0 losses, the near-misses in the Asian Cup qualifiers, the years when it felt like no one outside our city even knew we had a national team. But then something changed. Maybe it was the influx of younger players, maybe it was better coaching, or maybe it was just that stubborn Hong Kong spirit refusing to stay down. In the last five years alone, I’ve watched our squad grow from a group of hopefuls into a unit that can hold its own against regional powerhouses.

Take that match against Iran in 2023, for example. We lost 2-1, but we fought. For 90 minutes, we made one of Asia’s best teams work for every inch of that pitch. I was sitting there, soaked and shivering, but I’ve never felt prouder. Our goalkeeper, Yapp Hung Fai, made something like 8 crucial saves that night. Eight! And when our striker, Sun Ming Him, slotted that goal in the 78th minute, the roar from the crowd was deafening. It wasn’t a win, but it was a statement. We’re here, and we’re not going anywhere.

Of course, progress isn’t linear. I’ve seen us take two steps forward and one step back more times than I can count. There was that disappointing 0-0 draw against Cambodia last year—a game we should’ve won but didn’t. Frustrating? Absolutely. But even in those moments, you could see the pieces coming together. Our defensive organization has improved dramatically. Under coach Jørn Andersen, we’ve adopted a more disciplined, counter-attacking style that plays to our strengths. And the numbers don’t lie—in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers so far, we’ve kept three clean sheets in five matches. That’s not luck; that’s growth.

What really gives me hope, though, is the youth setup. I visited the Hong Kong Football Association’s training center in Tseung Kwan O last summer, and the energy there was electric. Kids as young as eight were drilling with an intensity I’ve never seen in local setups before. We’re investing in the future, and it shows. The U-23 team’s performance in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers last year—narrowly missing out on progression by just two points—proved that the pipeline is stronger than ever. Mark my words, in five years, we’ll have a squad that can genuinely compete on the Asian stage.

But let’s not kid ourselves—the road ahead is tough. Financial constraints, limited exposure, and the sheer competition in Asian football mean that Hong Kong’s journey to international recognition and success is still in its early chapters. We’re not going to the World Cup tomorrow, or maybe even in the next decade. But that’s not the point. The point is that we’re building something sustainable, something rooted in passion and identity. Every time I see our flag waved in a stadium abroad, every time I read an international article that actually spells our players’ names correctly, I feel a surge of pride. We’re on the map, and we’re carving out our place, one match at a time.

So here’s to the rain-soaked nights and the blistering afternoon kickoffs. Here’s to the veterans who laid the foundation and the youngsters who are carrying the torch. The rest of them were around to provide a piece of history and nostalgia to the event celebrating the league's golden anniversary, but this team? They’re making history of their own. And I, for one, can’t wait to see where this journey takes us next.