Figo, Owen, Scholes among stars lined up for HK$10 million friendly

Organisers hope the HK$10 million they have reportedly splashed out on bringing some of the game’s best footballers to the city pays dividends, with fans flocking to watch the likes of Luis Figo and Robert Pires in action at Hong Kong Stadium next month.

The star-studded line-up will also include the likes of former Brazil captain Gilberto Silva and Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler. They will take on a team led by England duo Michael Owen and Paul Scholes for the World Football Masters Cup.

Event organiser Sammy Yu said it would be “great to see a full house” for the January 20 exhibition game, but “it’s really about enjoying the atmosphere and the presence of the football stars”.

Tickets for the game will cost between HK$280 and HK$980 will go on sale next Tuesday, and officials said they hoped it would only be the first of two mouth-watering matches for local fans to enjoy.

Rumours have swirled that David Beckham could bring Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team for a four-team tournament over the Lunar New Year, although Hong Kong Football Association president Pui Kwan-kay was reluctant to confirm whether it was going ahead.

“If we nail it, the football stars coming would not be the same, of course,” he said. “They’ll be some slightly younger ones, and they’ll play against some of the local footballers of the past generations, too.”

Scholes and Owen are expected to lead a team made up of local ex-footballers, with Rangers pair Lo Kwan-yee and Lam Ka-wai on a list of those who could play.

“I played against Owen and Emile Heskey at the start of my career so I’m really happy to play with my idols again,” Lo said. “There are a lot of former local players on the pitch too so I just want to enjoy the match.

“It’s been a few years since Hong Kong last hosted such a match, so I am looking forward to it, I hope to see more matches like this so that fans will come and support local football.”