Hong Kong national football team

Hong Kong

Nickname(s)	The Dragons (蛟龍) The Strength (勁揪)
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	Ashley Westwood
Captain	Yapp Hung Fai
Most caps	Yapp Hung Fai (102)
Top scorer	Chan Siu Ki (40)
Home stadium	Hong Kong Stadium Mong Kok Stadium Kai Tak Sports Park
FIFA code	HKG
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	155 1 (19 December 2024)[1]
Highest	90 (February 1996)
Lowest	169 (November 2012)
First international
Hong Kong 3–2 French Cochinchina (Mong Kok, British Hong Kong; 20 April 1947)[2]
Biggest win
Hong Kong 15–0 Guam  (Taipei, Taiwan; 7 March 2005)
Biggest defeat
China 7–0 Hong Kong  (Guangzhou, China; 17 November 2004)  Hong Kong 0–7 Paraguay  (So Kon Po, Hong Kong; 17 November 2010)  Hong Kong 0–7 Argentina  (So Kon Po, Hong Kong; 14 October 2014)
Asian Cup
Appearances	4 (first in 1956)
Best result	Third place (1956)
EAFF Championship
Appearances	4 (first in 2003)
Best result	Fourth place (2003, 2010, 2019, 2022)
Medal record Men's football AFC Asian Cup 1956 Hong Kong Team

The Hong Kong national football team (Chinese: 香港足球代表隊; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jūkkàuh doihbíu deuih; recognised as Hong Kong, China by FIFA) represents Hong Kong in international football and is controlled by the Football Association of Hong Kong, China, the governing body for football in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong hosted the first AFC Asian Cup in 1956 and won third place, also reaching the semifinals in 1964. Hong Kong did not qualify for another AFC tournament until 2023. They had never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and their biggest celebrated victory was the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) where Hong Kong produced a 2–1 upset win against China which resulted in Hong Kong qualifying for the second rounds of qualification. Hong Kong has qualified for the EAFF 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 the Hong 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. The China national team that participated in 1936 and 1948 Summer Olympics, were mainly composed of ethnic Chinese players from Hong Kong, most famously Lee Wai Tong.^[9][10]

After WWII, a number of Shanghai-based players began representing Hong Kong, such as Chang King Hai and Hsu King Shing. Hong Kong played its first international match after World War II in 1949,^{[citation needed]} against South Korea. Its first victory came in 1953, a 4–0 win against South Korea.^{[citation needed]}

The Hong Kong FA became a member of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation in 1954. Since then Hong Kong played their first FIFA-recognised international match against other countries. HKFA also sent a scratch team for 1957 Merdeka Tournament, which was composed of players from Eastern 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 the Asian Cup, including a third-place finish in the 1956 edition as host. At that time, most Hong Kong players represented Republic of China (Taiwan); they finished third in the Asian Cup in the 1960 edition, leaving more inferior players to the proper Hong Kong team.^[13]

Hong Kong has never qualified for the World Cup. However, its most celebrated victory happened during 1986 World Cup qualifying. On 19 May 1985, in Beijing, Hong Kong faced China in the final match of the first qualifying round, where Hong Kong needed a win to advance while China needed only a draw. Hong Kong, led by coach Kwok Ka Ming, produced a 2–1 upset win, with goals from Cheung Chi Tak and Ku Kam Fai, thereby winning the group and advancing to the knockout stage where it subsequently lost to Japan.

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]

A short football fever appeared during 2018 World Cup qualifying in Hong Kong under the guidance of Kim Pan Gon, as Hong Kong had drawn into the same group with their fierce rival, China. Due to the tensions built up from 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 against Bhutan and Maldives, 2 scoreless draws against China, and 2 losses against Qatar.

In late 2018, after the sudden departure of Kim Pan Gon, English-born coach Gary 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 against Chinese Taipei, a draw against North Korea and a heavy win against Mongolia. Shortly afterwards, White departed from the role.

In April 2019, Hong Kong FA appointed Finnish-born Mixu Paatelainen as the new head coach of the national football team in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship tournament. His first game in charge ended in a disappointing and surprising loss at home during friendly international against Chinese Taipei. ^[15] However, 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 Jørn Andersen who formerly guided North Korea was named as the new head coach succeeding Mixu Paatelainen in preparation for the third round of qualification of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.^[16] He guided Hong Kong to qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup by beating Afghanistan 2–1 and Cambodia 3–0, reaching the final tournament after a 55-year absence.^[17] In preparation for the tournament itself, on 2 January 2024, Hong Kong pulled a shocking 2–1 victory over arch-enemy China beating them for the first time in 29 years during the friendly match held in Abu Dhabi.^[18]

On 15 January 2024, Hong Kong then kicked off their 2023 Asian Cup campaign against UAE in which they lost 3–1 in the opening match where Chan Siu Kwan scored the 1,000th goal in the AFC Asian Cup history.^[19] They eventually finished the campaign at the bottom of their group after losses against Iran (1–0) and Palestine (3–0).

On 29 May 2024, Jørn Andersen announced his resignation as head coach of the Hong Kong national football team after almost over 2 years in charge. ^[20]

On 28 August 2024, English manager Ashley Westwood was appointed as the new head coach of the Hong Kong national football team, succeeding Jørn Andersen. ^[21] In September 2024, Hong Kong travelled to Fiji and played two friendly matches against Oceania countries, Solomon Islands and Fiji.

The team also travelled to Europe on November for the first time other than Asian soil where they played against the Liechtenstein national football team.

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–2000
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)[22]

The crest of the Hong Kong national football team features a Chinese 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 is Hong Kong Stadium. For some friendly matches and minor qualification matches, the Hong Kong team plays most often at the Mong Kok Stadium in Kowloon, which was re-opened in 2011 after a renovation. Moreover, the 2018 edition of the Lunar New Year Cup was held in Mong Kok.^[23] The cup was a local tradition to celebrate Chinese New Year, which was held in Government Stadium in the past.

The Jockey 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 with China. The rivalry began in 1978 and for the first decades before the return of Hong Kong to China, Hong Kong produced a shock 2–1 upset in Beijing, and this led to unrest by Chinese supporters.^[24] Since then, China never lost to Hong Kong, and has achieved more successes, but the rivalry continues to have some influence on Hong Kong society.^[25][26][27]

On 1 January 2024, Hong Kong defeated China in a closed door international friendly, marking their first victory in 29 years.^[28]

The Hong Kong–Macau rivalry has been contested by Hong Kong Football Association and Macau 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

Position	Name
Head Coach	Ashley Westwood
Assistant Coach	Matthew Holland
	Darren James Arnott
Technical Director	John Morling
Executive Manager	Graeme Chan
Goalkeeping Coach	Fan Chun Yip
U23 Head Coach	Szeto Man Chun
Head of Sports Science	Vacant
Performance & Methodology Lead Analyst	Christopher Jenkins
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 Physiotherapist	Lo Ho Cheung Dennis
	Kwong Hoi Hang Karen
	Leung Hok Hin Frankie
Team Massure	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 Wo Chan Hiu Ming	2007	5	2	1	2	40.0	1.20
Dejan Antonić Goran Paulić[29]	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–	7	6	0	1	85.7	2.57

Last updated: Hong Kong 5–0 Guam, 17 December 2024. Statistics include international "A" matches only.

The following 20 players have been named for the preliminary round of 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship to be held from 8 to 17 December 2024.^[30]

Caps and goals as of 14 December 2024 after the match against  Guam.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Yapp Hung Fai	(1990-03-21) 21 March 1990 (age 34)	102	0	Eastern
18	1GK	Ng Wai Him	(2002-06-30) 30 June 2002 (age 22)	1	0	Southern
2	2DF	Alexander Jojo	(1999-02-11) 11 February 1999 (age 25)	3	0	Eastern
3	2DF	Oliver Gerbig	(1998-12-12) 12 December 1998 (age 26)	17	0	Dalian Yingbo
4	2DF	Leon Jones	(1998-02-28) 28 February 1998 (age 26)	8	0	Kitchee
5	2DF	Dudu	(1990-04-17) 17 April 1990 (age 34)	2	1	Lee Man
6	2DF	Nicholas Benavides	(2001-11-05) 5 November 2001 (age 23)	4	2	Tai Po
12	2DF	Fernando	(1986-11-14) 14 November 1986 (age 38)	15	1	Kitchee
21	2DF	Tsui Wang Kit	(1997-01-05) 5 January 1997 (age 27)	27	1	Yunnan Yukun
8	3MF	Ngan Cheuk Pan	(1998-01-22) 22 January 1998 (age 26)	10	0	Kitchee
10	3MF	Wong Wai	(1992-09-17) 17 September 1992 (age 32)	53	6	Lee Man
14	3MF	Yu Joy Yin	(2001-10-08) 8 October 2001 (age 23)	13	0	Eastern
16	3MF	Chan Siu Kwan	(1992-08-01) 1 August 1992 (age 32)	30	6	Tai Po
7	4FW	Juninho	(1990-12-11) 11 December 1990 (age 34)	14	2	Kitchee
9	4FW	Matt Orr	(1997-01-01) 1 January 1997 (age 27)	35	9	Shenzhen Peng City
11	4FW	Everton Camargo	(1991-05-25) 25 May 1991 (age 33)	15	9	Lee Man
13	4FW	Stefan Pereira	(1988-04-16) 16 April 1988 (age 36)	12	0	Southern
15	4FW	Mahama Awal	(1991-06-10) 10 June 1991 (age 33)	10	0	Southern
17	4FW	Ng Yu Hei	(2006-02-13) 13 February 2006 (age 18)	4	0	Eastern
22	4FW	Poon Pui Hin	(2000-10-03) 3 October 2000 (age 24)	16	3	Kitchee

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	Tse Ka Wing	(1999-09-04) 4 September 1999 (age 25)	7	0	Tai Po	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary RoundINJ
GK	Chan Ka Ho	(1996-01-27) 27 January 1996 (age 28)	2	0	Lee Man	v.  Mauritius, 19 November 2024
GK	Pong Cheuk Hei	(2004-01-31) 31 January 2004 (age 20)	0	0	North District	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
GK	Paulo César	(1986-03-27) 27 March 1986 (age 38)	4	0	Central & Western	Local training camp, May 2024
DF	Shinichi Chan	(2002-09-05) 5 September 2002 (age 22)	22	1	Shanghai Shenhua	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary RoundPRE
DF	Timothy Chow	(2006-03-11) 11 March 2006 (age 18)	1	0	Lee Man	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary RoundPRE
DF	Anthony Pinto	(2006-02-23) 23 February 2006 (age 18)	1	1	Loughborough Students	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary RoundPRE
DF	Yue Tze Nam	(1998-05-12) 12 May 1998 (age 26)	28	0	Meizhou Hakka	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024INJ
DF	Law Tsz Chun	(1997-03-02) 2 March 1997 (age 27)	25	1	Kitchee	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF	Wong Tsz Ho	(1994-03-07) 7 March 1994 (age 30)	13	0	Eastern	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF	Yu Wai Lim	(1998-09-20) 20 September 1998 (age 26)	9	0	Wuxi Wugo	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF	Tsang Kam To	(1989-06-21) 21 June 1989 (age 35)	6	0	Kowloon City	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF	Jordan Lam	(1999-02-02) 2 February 1999 (age 25)	1	0	Kitchee	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF	Clement Benhaddouche	(1996-05-11) 11 May 1996 (age 28)	0	0	Suzhou Dongwu	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF	Chan Yun Tung	(2002-07-02) 2 July 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Southern	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF	Alexandre Dujardin	(1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 25)	0	0	Nanjing City	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF	Tsang Yi Hang	(2003-10-27) 27 October 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Free agent	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
DF	Leung Nok Hang	(1994-11-14) 14 November 1994 (age 30)	13	0	Zhejiang Pro	v.  Liechtenstein, 10 October 2024PRE
DF	Vas Nuñez	(1995-11-22) 22 November 1995 (age 29)	13	0	Guangxi Pingguo Haliao	v.  Liechtenstein, 10-14 October 2024PRE
DF	Li Ngai Hoi	(1994-10-15) 15 October 1994 (age 30)	12	0	Lee Man	v.  Solomon Islands, 5 September 2024PRE
DF	Sean Tse	(1992-05-03) 3 May 1992 (age 32)	8	0	Stalybridge Celtic	2023 AFC Asian Cup
MF	Sun Ming Him	(2000-06-19) 19 June 2000 (age 24)	32	2	Cangzhou Mighty Lions	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary RoundPRE
MF	Wu Chun Ming	(1997-11-21) 21 November 1997 (age 27)	26	0	Lee Man	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary RoundPRE
MF	Lam Hin Ting	(1999-12-09) 9 December 1999 (age 25)	5	0	Eastern	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary RoundPRE
MF	Tan Chun Lok	(1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 28)	50	3	Kitchee	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF	Cheng Chin Lung	(1998-01-07) 7 January 1998 (age 26)	6	0	Kitchee	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF	Ngan Lok Fung	(1993-01-26) 26 January 1993 (age 31)	6	0	Lee Man	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF	Sohgo Ichikawa	(2004-07-30) 30 July 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Southern	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF	Chiu Ching Yu	(2006-03-07) 7 March 2006 (age 18)	0	0	BFB Pattaya City	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF	Ho Lung Ho	(2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Kowloon City	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
MF	Ju Yingzhi	(1987-07-24) 24 July 1987 (age 37)	44	3	Southern	2023 AFC Asian CupRET
FW	Michael Udebuluzor	(2004-04-01) 1 April 2004 (age 20)	14	2	VfR Mannheim	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary RoundINJ
FW	Matthew Slattery	(2005-04-05) 5 April 2005 (age 19)	0	0	Kitchee	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary RoundPRE
FW	Chang Hei Yin	(2000-04-06) 6 April 2000 (age 24)	5	0	Lee Man	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
FW	Ma Hei Wai	(2004-02-03) 3 February 2004 (age 20)	3	1	Eastern	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
FW	Wong Ho Chun	(2002-04-02) 2 April 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Eastern	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
FW	Lau Chi Lok	(1993-10-15) 15 October 1993 (age 31)	0	0	Rangers	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
FW	Raphaël Merkies	(2002-04-15) 15 April 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Southern	v.  Philippines, 14 November 2024PRE
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury PRE Preliminary squad WD Player withdrawn from the squad. RET Player retired from international football

During the 1950s, Arthur Santos who is of British-Portuguese nationality (whose son Leslie 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.^[31]

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 the 1990 and 1994 Commonwealth Games as well as Australian-born Pete McClaren and Scottish-born Charlie Wright.^[31]

In the late 1970s, Scottish-born players Derek 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-born Anto Grabo along with fellow English-born players Mark Grainger, John Moore and most notably Dale 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-born Lawrence Akandu obtained his Hong Kong citizenship in which he played for the national team during the 2003 East Asia Cup finals where he scored a goal in a loss against South Korea. He was soon followed by Cameroon-born Guy Gerard Ambassa who obtained his permanent residential status in 2005 along with another fellow Nigerian-born player named Colly Ezeh and Brazilian-born Cristiano Cordeiro in which both of whom earned international caps during the 2007 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 the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup, Cameroonian-born Julius 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 coach Kim Pan-gon stated that he needed to pick his best players regardless of their origin in preparation during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.^[32]

These include the likes of European-born players Dani Cancela, Jaimes McKee, Fernando Recio, Andy Russell, Jack Sealy, Jordi Tarrés and Sean Tse, Brazilian-born players Everton Camargo, Paulo César, Clayton, Dudu, Diego Eli, Fernando, Giovane, Helio, Itaparica, Juninho, Roberto Júnior, Tomas Maronesi, Paulinho, Stefan Pereira, and Sandro, Asian-born players Jahangir Khan and Yuto Nakamura, and African born players from Wisdom Fofo Agbo, Alex Akande, Christian Annan, Mahama Awal, Festus Baise, Godfred Karikari, Jean-Jacques Kilama, and Paul Ngue.

In addition to Sung Lin Yung, several other mainland born players went on to represent Hong Kong from past to present which include Bai 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, and Zhang Chunhui.^[33]

As of 17 December 2024^[34]

Players in bold are still active with Hong Kong.

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Position	Career
1	Yapp Hung Fai	102	0	GK	2010–present
2	Huang Yang	71	1	MF	2012–2023
3	Chan Siu Ki	70	40	FW	2004–2017
	Lee Chi Ho	70	0	DF	2000–2017
5	Lee Wai Man	68	2	DF	1993–2006
6	Chan Wai Ho	65	6	DF	2000–2017
7	Poon Yiu Cheuk	62	4	DF	1998–2010
8	Tsang Ting Fai	57	0	DF	1972–1980
9	Cheung Sai Ho	56	8	MF	1995–2007
10	Leung Chun Pong	54	1	MF	2006–2018

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Chan Siu Ki	40	70	0.57	2004–2017
2	Au Wai Lun	26	50	0.52	1989–2005
3	Lau Wing Yip	24	39	0.62	1971–1986
4	Lau Chi Lam	23	41	0.56	1956–1964
5	Wan Chi Keung	18	32	0.56	1976–1986
6	Chung Chor Wai	16	45	0.36	1971–1979
7	Ho Cheng Yau	14	34	0.41	1956–1968
	Tim Bredbury	14	34	0.41	1986–1999
9	Li Kwok Keung	13	34	0.38	1964–1972
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.

Year	Tournament	Captain(s)
1954	1954 Asian Games	Ko Po Keung
1956	1956 AFC Asian Cup
1958	1958 Asian Games	Ho Cheung Yau
1959	1960 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1963	1964 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1964	1964 AFC Asian Cup	Cheung Wing Ching
1967	1968 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Kung Wah Kit
1968	1968 AFC Asian Cup
1971	1972 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Fok Pak Ling
1973	1974 FIFA World Cup qualification	Kwok Ka Ming
1975	1976 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Cheng Yun Yue
1977	1978 FIFA World Cup qualification	Wu Kwok Hung, Kwok Ka Ming
1979	1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Wu Kwok Hung
1980	1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
1984	1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Leung Sui Wing
1985	1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
1987	1988 Summer Olympics qualification
1988	1988 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1989	1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
1990	1990 Asian Games	Cheung Chi Tak
1992	1992 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Ku Kam Fai, Chan Ping On
1993	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification	Lee Kin Wo
1994	1994 Asian Games
1996	1996 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1997	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification	Ku Kam Fai, Cheung Chi Tak
1998	1998 Asian Games	Cheung Sai Ho
1999	2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Lee Kin Wo
2001	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification	Cheung Sai Ho
2003	2003 East Asian Football Championship Preliminary	Yau Kin Wai
2003	2003 East Asian Football Championship	Lee Wai Man
2003	2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Yau Kin Wai, Cheung Sai Ho, Lee Wai Man
2004	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification	Lee Wai Man, Cheung Sai Ho
2005	2005 East Asian Football Championship Preliminary
2006	2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Lee Wai Man, Cheung Sai Ho, Fan Chun Yip
2007	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification	Cheung Sai Ho, Fan Chun Yip
2007	2008 East Asian Football Championship Preliminary	Cristiano Cordeiro
2009	2010 East Asian Football Championship Preliminary	Li Haiqiang,[36][37] Man Pei Tak[38]
2009–2010	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Cristiano Cordeiro, Poon Yiu Cheuk, Man Pei Tak, Chan Wai Ho
2010	2010 East Asian Football Championship	Poon Yiu Cheuk, Chan Wai Ho, Au Yeung Yiu Chung, Li Haiqiang
2011	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification	Chan Wai Ho, Li Haiqiang
2012	2013 EAFF East Asian Cup Preliminary	Chan Wai Ho
2013–2014	2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Chan Wai Ho, Chan Siu Ki, Yapp Hung Fai
2014	2015 EAFF East Asian Cup Preliminary	Yapp Hung Fai
2015–2016	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification	Chan Wai Ho, Yapp Hung Fai
2016	2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary	Yapp Hung Fai
2017–2018	2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2018	2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary	Huang Yang[35]
2019	2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
2019–2021	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2022	2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2022	2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship	Sean Tse
2023–2024	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Yapp Hung Fai, Hélio, Vas Nuñez
2024	2023 AFC Asian Cup	Yapp Hung Fai, Vas Nuñez
2024	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary	Yapp Hung Fai
2025–2026	2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification

See comprehensive article: Hong Kong national football team – record in qualifying and major tournaments

Denotes draws includes knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

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	157