Football is the most popular national sport in Malaysia, where the first modern set of rules were established in 1921. It is run by the Football Association of Malaysia. The association administers the national football teams and league competitions.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
In 1997, Malaysia hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup, but known as FIFA World Youth Championship during that time. In 2007, Malaysia co-hosted the Asian Cup 2007 with three other countries.
The most significant successes of the national team of Malaysia has come in the regional AFF Suzuki Cup (formerly known as the Tiger Cup), which Malaysia won in 2010 for the first time in history. They beat Indonesia 4–2 on aggregate in the final to capture the country's first major international football title.
Malaysia had many top players, such as the legendary Mokhtar Dahari and Sabah's Hassan Sani and James Wong, which led Malaysia into their golden age during the 1970s until the 1980s. Before Mokhtar, the Malaysian King of Football Datuk Abdul Ghani Minhat was the most famous and respected footballer in the whole Malaya during the 1950s and 1960s. Malaysia's 15–1 victory over the Philippines in 1962 is currently the highest win of the national team.
In the FIFA World Rankings, Malaysia's highest standing was in the first release of the figures, in August 1993 at 75th. Malaysia's main rival on the international stage are their geographical neighbors, Indonesia and Singapore, and past matches between these two teams have produced much drama. Malaysia is one of the most successful teams in Southeast Asia along with Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, winning the ASEAN Football Championship in 2010.