Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on July 20, 2026, Malaysia aspires to host the FIFA World Cup and aims for the national team, the Harimau Malaya, to compete in the tournament representing Southeast Asia. He made the remarks during a World Cup final viewing event at Bangi Square 2, where hundreds of football fans gathered to watch the Argentina-Spain match [1, 2]. "God willing, one day we aspire to make Malaysia a host of the World Cup. Hopefully, by then, the Malaysian team will be among the World Cup participants representing South-east Asia," Zahid said [2].
The Malaysian national football team has recently improved its standing in the FIFA world rankings, rising to 136th with 1,086.22 points, up from 138th previously. This increase reflects growing optimism for the team’s global competitiveness [1, 2].
Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) provided free-to-air live coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup between July 19 and July 20, 2026. Despite some initial technical issues, which were quickly resolved, RTM's broadcast reached a wide audience nationwide [3, 4]. The Communications Ministry is now reviewing full viewership data before making a formal assessment of RTM's performance [3, 4].
Following the World Cup coverage, RTM announced plans to acquire broadcasting rights for additional major global sporting events. Broadcasting director-general Ashwad Ismail described sports rights as a collaborative arena rather than competitive, emphasizing partnership to bring quality content to Malaysians. "This is not about who gets the exclusive rights, who doesn’t, who wins or who loses. When it comes to something that Malaysians need, the Department of Broadcasting Malaysia believes it goes beyond competitive rivalry," he said [3, 4].
Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil indicated RTM will reveal more details soon. "Broadcasting director-general Ashwad Ismail has informed me that RTM would be airing several more tournaments. That will be announced later," Fahmi said [4].
Malaysia continues to build momentum in both football and sports media coverage. The next concrete step will be the Communications Ministry’s viewership review, expected in the weeks following the World Cup final broadcast to evaluate RTM’s performance comprehensively [3, 4].
