# Hong Kong national football 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 round of qualification. Hong Kong has qualified for the EAFF E-1 Football Championship five times, in 2003, 2010, 2019, 2022 and 2025.

## History
### Establishment and pre-WWII era

Before Hong Kong became a member of FIFA in 1954, Hong Kong began playing in the Hong Kong–Macau Interport tournament in 1937, 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. 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. There was another Interport tournament against Saigon. 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.
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 on 20 April 1947, against South Vietnam. Its first victory came in 1953, a 4–0 win against South Korea.

### FIFA member (1954–present)

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.
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.
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.

### Football Fever in 2015

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 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. 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.

### Return to the AFC Asian Cup tournament

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. 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. 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.
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. They eventually finished the campaign at the bottom of their group after losses against Iran (0–1) and Palestine (0–3).
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.
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. 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.
On 8 December 2024, Yapp Hung Fai became the first Hong Kong player to reach 100 international caps against Mongolia during the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Round.

## Team image
### Kits and crest

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 suppliers

| Kit supplier | Period |
| Puma | 1970s–2000 |
| Diadora | 2000–2005 |
| Adidas | 2005–2011 |
| Nike | 2011–present |

#### Kit deals

| Kit supplier | Period | Contract announcement | Contract duration |
| Nike | 2011–present | 1 July 2011 | July 2011 – July 2016 (5 years) |
| Nike | 2011–present | 24 August 2016 | August 2016 – 2025 (10 years) |
| Nike | 2011–present | 27 February 2025 | February 2025 – 2035 (10 years) |

### Crest

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.

### Home Stadium

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 reconstructed in 2011. Moreover, the 2018 edition of the Lunar New Year Cup was held in Mong Kok. The cup was a local tradition to celebrate Chinese New Year, which was held in Government Stadium (Hong Kong 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.

### Rivalries
#### China

Hong Kong maintains a specific rivalry with China. The rivalry began in 1978 and for the first decades before the handover of Hong Kong, Hong Kong produced a shock 2–1 upset in Beijing, and this led to unrest by Chinese supporters. Since then, China was unbeaten against to Hong Kong but the rivalry continues and even got heaten up since the conflict between Hong Kong and China in the 2010s.
On 1 January 2024, Hong Kong defeated China 2-1 in a closed door FIFA international friendly, marking their first victory in 29 years.

#### Macau

The Hong Kong–Macau rivalry has been contested by Hong Kong Football Association and Macau Football Association since 1937.

## Results and fixtures

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

### 2026
## Coaching staff

| Position | Name |
| Head Coach | Ashley Westwood |
| Assistant Coach | Matthew Holland |
| Assistant Coach | 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 | Vacant |
| Team Doctor | Dr. Wan Hay Man Keith |
| Fitness Coach | Stephen Wong |
| Administration and Equipment Team | Cheung Tim Ho Andrew |
| Administration and Equipment Team | Samuel Chow |
| Administration and Equipment Team | Lau Chun Yip Tom |
| Administration and Equipment Team | Gavin Yeung |
| Team Physio | Lo Ho Cheung Dennis |
| Team Physio | Kwong Hoi Hang Karen |
| Team Physio | Leung Hok Hin Frankie |
| Team Masseur | Wong Yi Sum |

### Coaching history

| Name | Coaching career | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Points per game |
| 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 | 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 | 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– | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 87.5 | 2.63 |
Last updated: Hong Kong 2–0 Macau, 19 March 2025. Statistics include international "A" matches only.

## Players
### Current squad

The following 23 players have been named for the final squad for a friendly against Macau on 19 March 2025.
Caps and goals as of 19 March 2025 after the match against Macau.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1GK | Yapp Hung Fai | (1990-03-21) 21 March 1990 (age 34) | 103 | 0 | Eastern |
| 1GK | Tse Ka Wing | (1999-09-04) 4 September 1999 (age 25) | 7 | 0 | Tai Po |
| 2DF | Sun Ming Him | (2000-06-19) 19 June 2000 (age 24) | 33 | 2 | Tianjin Jinmen Tiger |
| 2DF | Yue Tze Nam | (1998-05-12) 12 May 1998 (age 26) | 29 | 0 | Meizhou Hakka |
| 2DF | Shinichi Chan | (2002-09-05) 5 September 2002 (age 22) | 23 | 1 | Shanghai Shenhua |
| 2DF | Oliver Gerbig | (1998-12-12) 12 December 1998 (age 26) | 18 | 0 | Henan |
| 2DF | Fernando | (1986-11-14) 14 November 1986 (age 38) | 16 | 1 | Kitchee |
| 2DF | Leon Jones | (1998-02-28) 28 February 1998 (age 27) | 9 | 1 | Kitchee |
| 2DF | Nicholas Benavides | (2001-11-05) 5 November 2001 (age 23) | 4 | 2 | Tai Po |
| 2DF | Alexander Jojo | (1999-02-11) 11 February 1999 (age 26) | 4 | 0 | Eastern |
| 2DF | Clement Benhaddouche | (1996-05-11) 11 May 1996 (age 28) | 0 | 0 | Eastern |
| 3MF | Wong Wai | (1992-09-17) 17 September 1992 (age 32) | 54 | 6 | Lee Man |
| 3MF | Chan Siu Kwan | (1992-08-01) 1 August 1992 (age 32) | 31 | 6 | Tai Po |
| 3MF | Yu Joy Yin | (2001-10-08) 8 October 2001 (age 23) | 14 | 0 | Shijiazhuang Gongfu |
| 3MF | Ngan Cheuk Pan | (1998-01-22) 22 January 1998 (age 27) | 11 | 0 | Kitchee |
| 4FW | Matt Orr | (1997-01-01) 1 January 1997 (age 28) | 36 | 9 | Shenzhen Peng City |
| 4FW | Everton Camargo | (1991-05-25) 25 May 1991 (age 33) | 16 | 9 | Lee Man |
| 4FW | Juninho | (1990-12-11) 11 December 1990 (age 34) | 14 | 2 | Kitchee |
| 4FW | Stefan Pereira | (1988-04-16) 16 April 1988 (age 36) | 13 | 0 | Southern |
| 4FW | Mahama Awal | (1991-06-10) 10 June 1991 (age 33) | 11 | 0 | Southern |
| 4FW | Ng Yu Hei | (2006-02-13) 13 February 2006 (age 19) | 4 | 0 | Chongqing Tonglianglong |
| 4FW | Wong Ho Chun | (2002-04-02) 2 April 2002 (age 22) | 2 | 0 | Qingdao Hainiu |
| 4FW | Raphaël Merkies | (2002-04-15) 15 April 2002 (age 22) | 1 | 1 | Shandong Taishan |

### Recent call–ups

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 | Chan Ka Ho | (1996-01-27) 27 January 1996 (age 29) | 2 | 0 | Lee Man | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| GK | Ng Wai Him | (2002-06-30) 30 June 2002 (age 22) | 1 | 0 | Southern | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| GK | Pong Cheuk Hei | (2004-01-31) 31 January 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | North District | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| GK | Paulo César | (1986-03-27) 27 March 1986 (age 38) | 4 | 0 | Central & Western | Local training camp, May 2024 |
| DF | Hélio | (1986-01-31) 31 January 1986 (age 39) | 38 | 1 | Kitchee | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Tsui Wang Kit | (1997-01-05) 5 January 1997 (age 28) | 27 | 1 | Yunnan Yukun | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Yu Wai Lim | (1998-09-20) 20 September 1998 (age 26) | 9 | 0 | Lee Man | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Dudu | (1990-04-17) 17 April 1990 (age 34) | 2 | 1 | Lee Man | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Jordan Lam | (1999-02-02) 2 February 1999 (age 26) | 1 | 0 | Kitchee | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Timothy Chow | (2006-03-11) 11 March 2006 (age 19) | 1 | 0 | Lee Man | v. Mongolia, 8 December 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Anthony Pinto | (2006-02-23) 23 February 2006 (age 19) | 1 | 1 | Loughborough Students | v. Mongolia, 8 December 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Law Tsz Chun | (1997-03-02) 2 March 1997 (age 28) | 25 | 1 | Kitchee | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Wong Tsz Ho | (1994-03-07) 7 March 1994 (age 31) | 13 | 0 | Eastern | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Tsang Kam To | (1989-06-21) 21 June 1989 (age 35) | 6 | 0 | Kowloon City | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Chan Yun Tung | (2002-07-02) 2 July 2002 (age 22) | 0 | 0 | Southern | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Alexandre Dujardin | (1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 26) | 0 | 0 | Nanjing City | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Tsang Yi Hang | (2003-10-27) 27 October 2003 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | F.C. United of Manchester Reserves | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Leung Nok Hang | (1994-11-14) 14 November 1994 (age 30) | 13 | 0 | Zhejiang Pro | v. Liechtenstein, 10 October 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Vas Nuñez | (1995-11-22) 22 November 1995 (age 29) | 13 | 0 | Free agent | v. Liechtenstein, 10 October 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| DF | Li Ngai Hoi | (1994-10-15) 15 October 1994 (age 30) | 12 | 0 | Lee Man | v. Solomon Islands, 5 September 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| MF | Tan Chun Lok | (1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 29) | 50 | 3 | Kitchee | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| MF | Wu Chun Ming | (1997-11-21) 21 November 1997 (age 27) | 26 | 0 | Lee Man | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| MF | Lam Hin Ting | (1999-12-09) 9 December 1999 (age 25) | 5 | 0 | Eastern | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| MF | Ho Lung Ho | (2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Kowloon City | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| MF | Cheng Chin Lung | (1998-01-07) 7 January 1998 (age 27) | 6 | 0 | Kitchee | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| MF | Ngan Lok Fung | (1993-01-26) 26 January 1993 (age 32) | 6 | 0 | Lee Man | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| MF | Sohgo Ichikawa | (2004-07-30) 30 July 2004 (age 20) | 1 | 0 | Southern | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| MF | Chiu Ching Yu | (2006-03-07) 7 March 2006 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Rangers | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| FW | Poon Pui Hin | (2000-10-03) 3 October 2000 (age 24) | 16 | 3 | Kitchee | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| FW | Michael Udebuluzor | (2004-04-01) 1 April 2004 (age 20) | 14 | 2 | VfR Mannheim | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| FW | Lau Chi Lok | (1993-10-15) 15 October 1993 (age 31) | 0 | 0 | Rangers | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| FW | Lau Ka Kiu | (2002-02-10) 10 February 2002 (age 23) | 0 | 0 | Lee Man | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| FW | Matthew Slattery | (2005-04-05) 5 April 2005 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Kitchee | v. Macau, 19 March 2025$^{PRE}$ |
| FW | Chang Hei Yin | (2000-04-06) 6 April 2000 (age 24) | 5 | 0 | Lee Man | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| FW | Ma Hei Wai | (2004-02-03) 3 February 2004 (age 21) | 3 | 1 | Eastern | v. Philippines, 14 November 2024$^{PRE}$ |
| $^{INJ}$ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury $^{PRE}$ Preliminary squad $^{WD}$ Player withdrew from the squad. $^{RET}$ Player retired from international football |||||||

## History of naturalised players

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.
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.
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.
These include the likes of European-born players Dani Cancela, Jaimes McKee, Raphael Merkies, 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.

## Records

    As of 19 March 2025
    Players in bold are still active with Hong Kong.

### Most appearances

| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Position | Career |
| 1 | Yapp Hung Fai | 103 | 0 | GK | 2010–present |
| 2 | Huang Yang | 71 | 1 | MF | 2012–2023 |
| 3 | Chan Siu Ki | 70 | 40 | FW | 2004–2017 |
| 3 | 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 |
| 10 | Wong Wai | 54 | 6 | MF | 2013–present |

### Top goalscorers

| 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 |
| 7 | 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 |
| 10 | Kwok Ka Ming | 12 | 47 | 0.26 | 1968–1979 |
| 10 | Jaimes McKee | 12 | 53 | 0.23 | 2012–2019 |

## Captains

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 | Ko Po Keung |
| 1958 | 1958 Asian Games | Ho Cheung Yau |
| 1964 | 1964 AFC Asian Cup | Cheung Wing Ching |
| 1968 | 1968 AFC Asian Cup | Kung Wah Kit |
| 1990 | 1990 Asian Games | Cheung Chi Tak |
| 1994 | 1994 Asian Games | Lee Kin Wo |
| 1998 | 1998 Asian Games | Cheung Sai Ho |
| 2003 | 2003 East Asian Football Championship | Lee Wai Man |
| 2010 | 2010 East Asian Football Championship | Poon Yiu Cheuk, Chan Wai Ho, Au Yeung Yiu Chung, Li Haiqiang |
| 2019 | 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship | Huang Yang |
| 2022 | 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship | Sean Tse |
| 2024 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Yapp Hung Fai, Vas Nuñez |
| 2025 | 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship | |

## Competitive record

    See comprehensive article: Hong Kong national football team all-time record
    Denotes draws includes knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

### FIFA World Cup

| FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | FIFA World Cup qualification record | FIFA World Cup qualification 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 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member |
| 1958 to 1970 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1974 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 31 |
| 1982 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 1986 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 7 |
| 1990 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 1994 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 19 |
| 1998 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 2002 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| 2006 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 15 |
| 2010 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 |
| 2014 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 2018 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 5 |
| 2022 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
| 2026 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 17 |
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2034 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | — | 0/18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 89 | 25 | 18 | 46 | 103 | 158 |

### AFC Asian Cup

| AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1956 | Third place | 3rd | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 7 | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts |
| 1960 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 7 |
| 1964 | Fourth place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 7 |
| 1968 | Fifth place | 5th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 1972 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 1976 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| 1980 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 |
| 1984 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 1988 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 1992 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1996 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 3 |
| 2000 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 |
| 2004 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 14 |
| 2007 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 2011 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 18 |
| 2015 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 13 |
| 2019 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 12 |
| 2023 | Group stage | 23rd | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 18 |
| 2027 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 17 |
| Total | Third place | 4/18 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 30 | 100 | 29 | 25 | 46 | 124 | 150 |
AFC Asian Cup history :
| Year | Round | Score | Result |
| 1956 | Finals | Hong Kong 2–3 Israel | Loss |
| 1956 | Finals | Hong Kong 2–2 South Korea | Draw |
| 1956 | Finals | Hong Kong 2–2 South Vietnam | Draw |
| 1964 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–1 Israel | Loss |
| 1964 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–1 South Korea | Loss |
| 1964 | Finals | Hong Kong 1–3 India | Loss |
| 1968 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–2 Iran | Loss |
| 1968 | Finals | Hong Kong 1–6 Israel | Loss |
| 1968 | Finals | Hong Kong 1–1 Republic of China | Draw |
| 1968 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–2 Burma | Loss |
| 2023 | Group Stage | Hong Kong 1–3 United Arab Emirates | Loss |
| 2023 | Group Stage | Hong Kong 0–1 Iran | Loss |
| 2023 | Group Stage | Hong Kong 0–3 Palestine | Loss |

### East Asian Football Championship (Former Dynasty Cup)

| East Asian Football Championship record | East Asian Football Championship record | East Asian Football Championship record | East Asian Football Championship record | East Asian Football Championship record | East Asian Football Championship record | East Asian Football Championship record | East Asian Football Championship record | East Asian Football Championship record | East Asian Football Championship qualification record | East Asian Football Championship qualification record | East Asian Football Championship qualification record | East Asian Football Championship qualification record | East Asian Football Championship qualification record | East Asian Football Championship qualification record |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1990 to 1992 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1995 | Third place | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1998 | Fourth place | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2003 | Fourth place | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| 2005 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 2 |
| 2008 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 3 |
| 2010 | Fourth place | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2013 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 2015 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2017 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 |
| 2019 | Fourth place | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| 2022 | Fourth place | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | Qualified via FIFA Ranking | Qualified via FIFA Ranking | Qualified via FIFA Ranking | Qualified via FIFA Ranking | Qualified via FIFA Ranking | Qualified via FIFA Ranking |
| 2025 | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Total | 6/12 | Third place | 19 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 49 | 30 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 114 | 21 |
East Asian Football Championship history :
| Year | Round | Score | Result |
| Hong Kong 1995 | Group stage | Hong Kong 0–3 Japan | Loss |
| Hong Kong 1995 | Group stage | Hong Kong 0–0 China | Draw |
| Hong Kong 1995 | Group stage | Hong Kong 2–3 South Korea | Loss |
| Hong Kong 1995 | Third place match | Hong Kong 1–1 China | Draw |
| 1998 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–1 China | Loss |
| 1998 | Finals | Hong Kong 1–5 Japan | Loss |
| 1998 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–1 South Korea | Loss |
| 2003 | Finals | Hong Kong 1–3 South Korea | Loss |
| 2003 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–1 Japan | Loss |
| 2003 | Finals | Hong Kong 1–3 China | Loss |
| 2010 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–5 South Korea | Loss |
| 2010 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–3 Japan | Loss |
| 2010 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–2 China | Loss |
| 2019 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–2 South Korea | Loss |
| 2019 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–5 Japan | Loss |
| 2019 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–2 China | Loss |
| 2022 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–6 Japan | Loss |
| 2022 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–3 South Korea | Loss |
| 2022 | Finals | Hong Kong 0–1 China | Loss |

### Asian Games

Asian Games record :
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 1951 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1954 | First round | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 |
| 1958 | Quarter-finals | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
| 1962 to 1986 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1990 | First round | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1994 | First round | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| 1998 | First round | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| 2002 to present | See Hong Kong national U-23 team | See Hong Kong national U-23 team | See Hong Kong national U-23 team | See Hong Kong national U-23 team | See Hong Kong national U-23 team | See Hong Kong national U-23 team | See Hong Kong national U-23 team | See Hong Kong national U-23 team |
| Total† | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 24 | 33 |
Asian Games history :
| Year | Round | Score | Result |
| 1954 | First round | Hong Kong 3–3 South Korea | Draw |
| 1954 | First round | Hong Kong 4–2 Afghanistan | Win |
| 1958 | First round | Hong Kong 4–1 Philippines | Win |
| 1958 | First round | Hong Kong 2–0 Japan | Win |
| 1958 | Quarter-finals | Hong Kong 2–5 India | Loss |
| 1990 | First round | Hong Kong 1–2 Kuwait | Loss |
| 1990 | First round | Hong Kong 0–2 Thailand | Loss |
| 1990 | First round | Hong Kong 2–0 Yemen | Win |
| 1994 | First round | Hong Kong 3–4 Malaysia | Loss |
| 1994 | First round | Hong Kong 2–1 Thailand | Win |
| 1994 | First round | Hong Kong 0–1 Uzbekistan | Loss |
| 1994 | First round | Hong Kong 1–2 Saudi Arabia | Loss |
| 1998 | First round | Hong Kong 0–6 Oman | Loss |
| 1998 | First round | Hong Kong 0–5 Thailand | Loss |

### Minor tournaments

Minor tournaments :
| Competition | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 1965 Merdeka Tournament | Seventh place | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 9 |
| 1966 Merdeka Tournament | First round | 9 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| 1967 Merdeka Tournament | Sixth place | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 18 |
| 1970 Merdeka Tournament | Fourth place | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 14 |
| 1971 Merdeka Tournament | Eighth place | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
| 1972 Merdeka Tournament | Sixth place | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| 1974 Merdeka Tournament | Third place | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 1975 Merdeka Tournament | Fifth place | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 13 |
| 1977 Beijing Invited Tournament | Runners-up | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| 1983 Great Wall Cup | Eighth place | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 2006 Carlsberg Cup | Fourth place | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 2011 Long Teng Cup | Winners | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| 2016 AYA Bank Cup | Fourth place | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 2024 Tri-Nations Series | Winners | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Total | 2 Titles | 2 Titles | | | | | | |

### Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup

The competition is played every year. It is a two-leg competition where each team plays a home match once. The champion is decided by combining the results of both games. Hong Kong team won the competition 17 times.

## Honours
### Continental

* AFC Asian Cup
** Third place (1): 1956

### Regional

* Dynasty Cup
** Third place (1): 1995

### Friendly

* Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup
** Winners (17)
* Lunar New Year Cup
** Winners: 1974
** Runners-up: 1975, 1977, 1987, 2005, 2016, 2018
** Third place: 1976, 1980, 1981, 1989
* Merdeka Tournament
** Third place: 1974
* Beijing invited Tournament
** Runners-up: 1977
* Long Teng Cup
** Winners: 2011
* Tri-Nations Series
** Winners: 2024

### Awards

* EAFF Championship Fair Play Award: 2010

### Summary

Only official senior honours are included, according to FIFA statutes (competitions organized/recognized by FIFA or an affiliated confederation).
| Senior Competition | | | | Total |
| AFC Asian Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |