Vive La Thailand: France’s Ligue 1 to Hold Trophée des Champions in Bangkok

Ligue 1, France’s top-tier football competition, will travel to Thailand for the 2023 edition of the Trophée des Champions. This marks the French football’s return to Asia after a four-year absence, having last played in 2019 in Shenzhen, China.

Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the governing body of French football, has decided to hold the “super cup” match in Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok on Aug. 5, 2023. The venue previously hosted an exhibition game between Manchester United and Liverpool, English football’s most famous sporting rivalry, where 70,000 people were in attendance.

The two previous Trophée des Champions were held in Tel Aviv in Israel, with Lille victorious in 2021 and Paris St. Germain claiming it in 2022.

The French football federation has ambitions beyond a showcase of French footballing talent. They aim to create a foothold in the region, which has long had a fervent fanbase for European clubs.

In a press statement by the federation, they said: “For this 2023 edition, the LFP has turned to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, with the ambition to create a French Football Festival in South East Asia, home to estimated 400 million football fans and filling the famous Rajamangala National Stadium, in partnership with Fresh Air Festival Co., Ltd.”

Should Paris St. Germain win the French league, the team will be a big draw for Thai fans, as three of the biggest stars are signed to the club, Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Lionel Messi.