(MENAFN) FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveiled Sunday the creation of a groundbreaking regional tournament—the FIFA ASEAN Cup—encompassing all 11 Southeast Asian nations in a historic expansion of organized football competition.

Infantino revealed the championship will operate within the FIFA International Match Calendar framework to maximize engagement across a market representing roughly 700 million people, according to Malaysian state media outlet Bernama.

"We are launching this competition to give a real boost to football, featuring the best players within the framework of FIFA's international match calendar, to make it truly impactful in the region and shine on the global stage.

"Football unites the world and together with all 11 ASEAN countries, we are creating the FIFA ASEAN Cup. It's a tournament that will bring the region together and become a huge success," he said.

The FIFA chief's announcement followed the formal execution of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) addressing regional football advancement during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn joined Infantino in signing the collaborative agreement, witnessed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim serving in his capacity as ASEAN 2025 chair.

Infantino stressed that the international football authority plans to escalate investment and expand developmental programming throughout Southeast Asia under this partnership framework.

"The first pillar, of course, is integrity in the game. The second is ensuring a safe and secure environment for matches. The third is education, promoting learning through football and fostering development for girls, boys, women and men across the region," he added.

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