Football stars excited for Chinese New Year Cup clash

Renowned football players expressed their enthusiasm on Friday morning for the upcoming FWD Insurance Chinese New Year Cup 2025, scheduled for Saturday night.

Their comments came during a pre-match press conference organized by ProEvents today, featuring the star-studded World Legends team. Notably absent was Kaka, who is expected to arrive in Hong Kong tonight.

Chelsea legend Ashley Cole shared his excitement about competing alongside Rivaldo and recalled the intense matches during the 2002 World Cup, jokingly noting that Rivaldo played as if he wanted to "kill him." Cole expressed his hopes for a joyful match that both players and fans could enjoy.

Eden Hazard, another Chelsea legend, looked forward to the challenge of playing with top international players and expressed his eagerness to explore various sites in Hong Kong.

Huang Yang, the former captain of the Hong Kong National Team, reminisced about the support from local fans and eagerly anticipated both meeting the fans again and competing with global football stars.

Following the press conference, local football stars joined the World Legends for a photo session.

World Cup winners from 2002, Cafu and Rivaldo, participated in a cultural exchange by holding up a fai chun and sharing New Year blessings with the media and fans, who were encouraged to participate enthusiastically.

In the afternoon, some members of the World Legends, including Rivaldo and former Liverpool goalkeeper David James, visited the Jockey Club HKFA Football Training Centre in Tseung Kwan O to engage with young footballers.

This event provided a unique opportunity for football fans to meet their heroes, take photos, and obtain autographs.

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