There’s no better time for a football fan to revel in the heart-pumping excitement and electric intensity of a world-class football match than at the Singapore Festival of Football, happening from 23 to 27 July 2025 at the National Stadium.
Returning after a two-year hiatus, the event brings three of Europe’s biggest teams namely Premier League clubs Arsenal FC and Newcastle United FC, as well as Italian giants AC Milan, together for two exhilarating matches — one of which had just concluded on 23 July, between Arsenal and AC Milan.
Despite a 1-0 result with Arsenal taking home the Tridentity Cup, the friendlies gave AC Milan the opportunity to test their young players, and 20-year-old goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani seized the opportunity to help the Italian club win a pre-arranged shootout after the match ended.
The team ended up winning the penalty shootout with a 6-5 scoreline.
Fikayo Tomori dressed in PUMA. Photographed by Adele Chan on the Leica M11, and taken on site at LeVeL 33.
For 19-time domestic champions and seven-time European champions AC Milan, this is the first time the team made their visit to Singapore, and aside from working the field, the club also connected with fans in a lifestyle and fashion aspect during their meet-and-greet at PUMA’s flagship outlet at 313 Somerset.
Since the club’s establishment in 1899, AC Milan has evolved to become more than just a football team; taking its collective creativity and culture beyond the field and turning it into a living, breathing symbol of the club’s identity; a Clubhouse, if you will, where football meets fashion, design, music and art to create cultural conversation.
Prior to catching them on the field, we got the opportunity to have a quick chat with AC Milan players Christian Pulisic and Fikayo Tomori. Here’s how it went.
Christian Pulisic dressed in the AC Milan and PUMA Away Kit for the 2025/26 season. Photographed by Adele Chan on the Leica M11, and taken on site at LeVeL 33.
Welcome to Singapore! What are your impressions of the country and the fans?
Christian Pulisic: I’ve only been here for a day but it’s a beautiful city. The fans have been great — very passionate — as they were waiting for us at the hotel. So, it’s been a good experience.
Fikayo Tomori: This is actually my second time in Singapore. The last time I was here was in 2017, and I found it really clean, and the people were nice. It seems like a very chill city. I think we arrived at the hotel close to 12am, and everyone was waiting. The fans were nice and loud too. Even though everyone was tired from the flight, it kind of woke us up. Obviously we knew we had fans here but to be here and see them; it’s really nice.
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Fikayo Tomori dressed in PUMA. Photographed by Adele Chan on the Leica M11, and taken on site at LeVeL 33.
Could you share what goes on during training for pre-season matches?
Christian: It’s similar (to the training during in season matches), but, of course, during the pre-season we’re working a lot more on fitness with a lot of running involved, and making sure we’re fit and that we are ready going into the season.
Fikayo: A lot of running, and this is because a lot of the guys (on the team) have been out 4-5 weeks. We are so finally tuned during the season that even though a few weeks off does not mean that you have lost all your fitness, but you have to build it back up again. And, obviously now that we are getting ready for a season where you’re playing at least a game a week — you have to be prepared.
Now that we have a new coach, there’s also a lot of new ideas, new tactical approaches, and there’s building chemistry with the newer players too. Building that togetherness as a team is what this period focuses on.
Any personal rituals that you do before a match or training?
Christian: For me, it’s more about just a routine. I always eat similar things, I always go for a nap at the same time, and just have the same routine over and over again. I’m not overly superstitious.
Fikayo: It’s probably so normal to me that I don’t know I’m doing it (laughs), but I always put my right shin pad on first. That is something I notice I do but I don’t know why.
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Christian Pulisic dressed in PUMA. Photographed by Adele Chan on the Leica M11, and taken on site at LeVeL 33.
What are your expectations of the match with Arsenal?
Christian: I’m hoping for a good first match for the team. We expect, obviously, a very good opponent — Arsenal, you know, is one of the best teams in the world — so, a good match and hopefully good results for us. I hope the fans enjoy a very entertaining match too, seeing some of the world’s top players in Europe.
Fikayo: I’m expecting the stadium to be loud and a good game with two good teams. You never go into a pitch wanting to lose, because you always want to win; and even though it’s pre-season, there’s still going to be that competitive edge to it.
As a player, are there any lessons you’ve learned in football that you apply in your daily life?
Christian: Oof, that’s a good question. I think for me it’s all about the discipline. Just going and making sure you put in the work and making sure that you are disciplined every single day if you want to improve — because that’s what it takes. I just take that into life and follow the right steps, and work hard every single day at the little things.
Fikayo: I came here with Chelsea when I was playing for them and the older players were telling me about how the career’s going to go so fast, so make sure you make the most out of it. So, I’m now at that age where I’m telling the young guys; don’t waste a day.
Everything goes by really quickly. Although it is just the beginning of the season, and the end of the season seems so far away, it goes really quickly and suddenly you’ve ticked off another season. So, I think just don’t let it pass you by and get everything you can out of yourself.
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Fikayo Tomori dressed in PUMA. Photographed by Adele Chan on the Leica M11, and taken on site at LeVeL 33.
Lastly, if you could pick any football team to play against at the Singapore Festival of Football, who would it be and why?
Christian: Any football team? Oh man… I don’t know… that’s tough to say since we are already playing against some top teams. Maybe we could play against an American team. Like Miami or Nashville since it’s where I’m from and I know some people, so it would be nice.
Fikayo: Normally I would have said Arsenal because my hero growing up was Thierry Henry, but now we’re playing Arsenal. So, I would say let’s play a Singapore team. I know we’re training at the Lion City Sailors training centre so why not them? It’s nice for the fans to see us so I think any game that we play would be a nice one, but I think if we played a local team from Singapore, it would be a lot different.
LeVeL 33
Providing the perfect backdrop for our time with Christian and Fikayo is the renowned LeVeL 33 — the world’s highest microbrewery in a building, offering a dining experience unlike any other.
Here, you can enjoy a ContemBrewery cuisine served exclusively with sustainable seafood, ethically pasture-raised beef, and locally sourced organic produce such as vibrant greens, edible flowers, and baby herbs, alongside beers made with 100% organic hops and malt like their Brut Beer — inspired by their relationship with Barons de Rothschild and crafted using the same yeast as Champagne to produce super fine bubbles and a dry finish.
