Sports: Stars from Arsenal FC and AC Milan arrive in the Lion City for Singapore Festival of Football 2025

Football frenzy is back in Singapore with the stars from Arsenal FC and AC Milan landing in the Lion City on Sunday (20 July). The European giants will face off in the Tridentity Cup on 23 July at the National Stadium – the opening match of the Singapore Festival of Football (SFOF).

The Gunners’ fans can look forward to watching a largely changed squad from the Gunners’ last visit to Singapore in 2018, with current key players including Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka on the squad for the Singapore stop.

Their travelling squad list is as follows:

David RayaGabriel MartinelliLeandro TrossardRiccardo Calafiori
William SalibaJurrien TimberEthan NwaneriTommy Setford
Ben WhiteKepa ArrizabalagaMikel MerinoMartin Zubimendi
Gabriel MagalhaesJakub KiwiorReiss NelsonLouie Copley
Bukayo SakaChristian NorgaardSambi LokongaDeclan Rice
Martin OdegaardOleksandr ZinchenkoKai HavertzIsmael Kabia
Josh NicholsMyles Lewis-SkellyAlexei Rojas-FedorushchenkoAndre Harriman-Annous
Max DowmanMarli Salmon  

Meanwhile, Italian giants AC Milan are visiting the Lion City for the first time and with new boss Massimiliano Allegri at the helm. Despite arriving at close to midnight, they were welcomed by avid fans at their hotel. Players took the time to greet their supporters, signing autographs and taking photos upon request.

AC Milan’s defender Strahinja Pavlović said: “We had two weeks of pre-season training so far and we’ve worked really hard. Now it’s time to start playing the games. Singapore is a great place to visit, and I’m sure that we have a lot of support here. We are looking forward to it.”The Rossoneri’s squad in Singapore is as follows:

Mike MaignanMatteo PittarellaPietro TerraccianoLorenzo Torriani
Davide BartesaghiMatteo DuțuMatteo GabbiaÁlex Jiménez
Vittorio MagniStrahinja PavlovićFilippo TerraccianoMalick Thiaw
Fikayo TomoriWarren BondoChristian ComottoYoussouf Fofana
Ruben Loftus-CheekYunus MusahChristian PulisicSamuele Ricci
Alexis SaelemaekersSamuel ChukwuezeLorenzo ColomboRafael Leão
Mattia LiberaliNoah Okafor  


Returning after a two-year hiatus, this year’s SFOF will feature three new teams and two mouthwatering clashes at the National Stadium. Arsenal FC will first take on Italian giants AC Milan on 23 July, before facing fellow English club Newcastle United on 27 July. Both matches kick off at 7.30pm Singapore time and are set to be thrilling preparatory matches for the clubs ahead of the new football season.

Arsenal FC will also hold an Open Training Session on 25 July at the National Stadium for their fans to get another opportunity to interact with their favourite players. Tickets for each match are priced from $108 while general admission tickets for the Open Training Session are priced at $32. All tickets are available on Ticketek Singapore.

Legends from each club will also add to the star power as they make an appearance in Singapore this month, connecting with the local football community and engaging with fans in the region. Arsenal FC’s Gilberto Silva and Bacary Sagna, Newcastle United’s Shay Given and Shola Ameobi as well as Serginho and Alexandre Pato of AC Milan will take part in their clubs’ activities in Singapore, including food drives for the underprivileged, meet and greets, and football clinics for local children.

The 2025 Singapore Festival runs from 23rd to 27th July 2025. More information available here

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