Jalan Besar Stadium to get 1,500 more seats as FAS responds to stronger fan support

SINGAPORE: Jalan Besar Stadium will get 1,500 additional seats, as the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) seeks to increase capacity amid stronger fan support for Singapore football.

In the association’s latest annual report published on Wednesday (Sep 16), FAS president Forrest Li said “solid competitive results” in the past year by the men’s national team, known as the Lions, have created a “groundswell of excitement and support” among fans.

The Lions qualified for the AFC Asian Cup on merit for the first time after an unbeaten qualifying campaign, with more than 30,000 fans turning up for their final qualifier against Bangladesh in March.

Mr Li said stadiums had been “fuller and louder than ever”, adding that every ASEAN Cup match in Singapore had been played to a sold-out stadium.

“In recognition of this strong fan response, we are working with SportSG to increase game-viewing capacity: first, by erecting a new South Stand at Jalan Besar Stadium to add 1,500 additional seats, and later, with the completion of new stadiums in Punggol and Toa Payoh,” he said in the annual report.

“This improved infrastructure, allowing us to welcome many more fans to the pitch, will make Singapore football even more vibrant and inclusive.”

Jalan Besar Stadium, located in Tyrwhitt Road, currently has a capacity of about 6,000.

Stadium capacity and access to match tickets have been hot-button issues among Singapore’s football fans, including when the Lions faced Thailand in their ASEAN football championship semi-final back in August this year.

Donations to FAS rose to S$12.35 million (US$9.68 million) in the financial year ended Mar 31, 2026, from S$695,000 the year before.

The sum included a S$10 million donation from tech firm Sea, of