FAS president Forrest Li’s company Sea pledges $50m to support development of S’pore football

SINGAPORE – As the Lions celebrated their 1-0 victory over Bangladesh in front of 30,105 fans at the National Stadium on March 31, there was double delight for the fraternity after Sea Limited pledged $50 million to support the long-term development of football in Singapore.

The Singapore-based technology company announced the donation – the largest-ever from a company for local football – just ahead of the team’s dead-rubber Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh.

It revealed that on top of the $10 million already donated to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) at the start of 2026, the remaining $40 million will be progressively disbursed to “support meaningful initiatives that can broaden participation, strengthen development pathways and contribute to the growth of a more vibrant football ecosystem in Singapore”.

In its press statement, Sea also stated its intent “to work closely with the Government and the wider footballing community to deploy this funding effectively”.

Sea chairman and chief executive officer Forrest Li, who is also FAS president, said: “We believe football can play a powerful role in bringing communities together, building character and opening up opportunities for young people.

“Football has a unique ability to forge connections and inspire pride and joy through a shared sense of purpose. With Sea’s $50 million donation, we hope to support the long-term development of football in Singapore and give back to the community that has played such an important role in Sea’s journey.”

Ahead of the Bangladesh tie, the FAS held a partner appreciation ceremony at the National Stadium to thank its partners for their continued support, while also calling for “sustained collaboration to build on recent progress and strengthen the game across all levels”.

The event was also attended by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Law Minister Edwin Tong, and Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Transport Baey Yam Keng.

Addressing guests, Li stressed the importance of continued support for local football and the national team’s journey and announced that insurance company MSIG Insurance Singapore had offered FAS a “generous three-year sponsorship, starting in April”.

Li said: “Every person and organisation in this room wants Singapore to put on a strong showing at the Asian Cup and for this historic qualification to not be a once-off in history, but to be repeated again and again. Our Lions can do it if we give them the help they need.

“I greatly hope to see many more companies and stakeholders step forward to help Singapore football. We cannot do this without you.”

James Walton, sports business group leader of Deloitte Asia Pacific and South-east Asia, described it as a “really fantastic injection” for the sport.

But he was cautious when asked if this would encourage other investors.

“I’m not sure if it’s going to spur people to invest in Singapore football, unfortunately,” he said.

“The attitude sometimes may be, ‘Singapore football now has enough money’, especially when there were already people that said that the money that came from the Government was enough.

“But I do hope it encourages other high net-worth individuals in Singapore and other corporations to consider how they can contribute to Singapore sport.

“There are other sports, whether it’s badminton, aquatics, fencing, table tennis, netball, where we can compete at the international stage as well, and where an amount, even $1 or $2 million, could be a game changer for the future of some of those sports, and some of the athletes in those sports.”

Football commentator and former Singapore Premier League (SPL) coach Khidhir Khamis said he was not surprised by the donation, noting it was expected after Li signalled his intention to become FAS president.

He said: “This is big news for Singapore football and it is a huge sum of money. I hope the money goes into youth development and the SPL and that there is a proper plan for its usage.

“This is an exciting time for Singapore football.”

Noting that other ASEAN countries are investing in the sport, Lions captain Hariss Harun said after the match that the donation “is a good sign, it’s a start and now we got to put the money in the right place”.

Calling this “a fantastic time to be involved in Singapore football”, Lions head coach Gavin Lee added: “I’ve said it before that we are trying to play against stronger opposition, playing in difficult conditions, (in a) hostile environment, big crowd and stuff like that.

“So I’m sure with the support, we’ll continue to try to arrange more games that are going to test us and that is going to hopefully help us.”

Sea has invested significantly in Singapore football in the past decade.

In 2016, its gaming arm Garena sponsored SPL developmental side Young Lions. Four years later, Sea acquired Home United and privatised them into the Lion City Sailors.

In 2022, the Sailors opened a $10 million training centre with world-class facilities spanning 28,000 sq m at Mattar Road. In 2024, the Asian Football Confederation then endorsed the LCS Football Academy as a two-star academy under the AFC Elite Youth Scheme – one of only four such academies recognised in South-east Asia.

They had further milestones in 2025 when they progressed to the AFC Champions League Two final, where they lost 2-1 to United Arab Emirates side Sharjah FC.

After the Lions secured historic qualification to the 2027 Asian Cup with a 2-1 win in Hong Kong in November 2025, Li revealed that he would reward the team with $2 million in bonuses out of his own pocket for their performances across the campaign.

Sea has also previously made significant contributions in other fields. In 2021, the home-grown company donated $50 million to the National University of Singapore for research and education in the field of computing.