From as early as 1979, big-name teams have been regularly making pit-stops in Singapore. From Franz Beckenbauer and the New York Cosmos to David Beckham and Manchester United, we look back at the top 10 high-profile matches at the National Stadium ahead of Tuesday's Japan-Brazil match at Kallang.
1) Beckenbauer and friends
October 1979: Headlined by 'Der Kaiser' Franz Beckenbauer, United States outfit New York Cosmos stormed to a 4-1 win over Singapore. Although inimitable Brazilian striker Pele was sidelined due to injury for the North American Soccer League side, the visitors were a class apart in front of a 35,000-strong crowd, who had their hopes raised from Arshad Khamis' early goal.
2) Germans fall to surprise loss
June 1983: Even with the absence of ace Fandi Ahmad owing to a reported dispute over match fees, Singapore notched a shock 2-1 win over Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich, which fielded German stalwarts such as Paul Breitner and Karl Heinz Rummenigge.
3) Caltex Cup drama - Liverpool v Arsenal
May 1991: A penalty shoot-out was needed to separate the two English giants, with Arsenal winning 4-3 to lift the now-defunct trophy. Singapore fans got an up-close look at a host of England internationals like Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn, John Barnes and Welsh star Ian Rush. In the previous year's edition, the Gunners beat South Korea 2-1 in a match to commemorate Singapore's 25th year of independence.
4) Lost in the Forest
May 1995: A dream volley from Fandi Ahmad was not enough to prevent Singapore from falling 1-3 to English club Nottingham Forest. The visitors boasted a strong line-up including fan favourites Stan Collymore, Stuart Pearce and Steve Stone.
5) Shoot-out stuns Spurs
May 1995: England international forward Gary Lineker was powerless in stopping Tottenham Hotspur from suffering a 2-4 penalty shoot-out loss to the Fandi Ahmad-inspired national team.
6) Sensational Ginola stuns, world record Shearer wows
August 1996: Newcastle United showed their pedigree by thrashing the S-League All-Stars 5-0 thanks to a sensational David Ginola show. But the match will be equally remembered for the presence of Alan Shearer. The England hitman joined the Magpies from Blackburn Rovers for a world-record fee of ￡15 million and though he did not play in the Singapore match, he made a cameo appearance to the fans.
7) Indra Sahdan scores against English champions
July 2001: Manchester United may have walked away 8-1 winners in a glamour friendly against the national team but the hosts' solitary goal, via an exquisite finish from Singapore golden boy Indra, will long be remembered by the Kallang faithful.
8) Uruguay win 2-1 in pre-World Cup friendly
May 2002: Gearing up for the quadrennial showpiece, the Diego Forlan-led Uruguayans thrilled a crowd of about 24,000, who were just as impressed with the Lions' valiant effort at a time of poor morale and performances.
9) Samba football arrives
July 2008: Some 34,000 spectators witnessed the flair and finesse of Brazil's brightest talents like Ronaldinho, Pato, Diego and Thiago Silva. The samba boys cruised to a 3-0 victory over a Singapore selection en route to the Beijing Olympics football tournament, where they finished third.
10) Liverpool turn Kallang red
July 2009: Spanish hotshot Fernando Torres was among the scorers in the Reds' 5-0 thumping of Singapore. More than 50,000 fans helped to transform the stadium into the Anfield of the East.
