Johor Darul Ta'zim set new world record for longest unbeaten league run in football history

JDT set a new world record after stretching their unbeaten league run to 109 matches with a 3-0 victory over Kuching City at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in their 2026-27 Malaysia Super League opener. Marcos Guilherme opened the scoring in the 11th minute, before second-half strikes from Oscar Arribas and Shahab Zahedi sealed the win. The historic result officially eclipsed the previous world benchmark of 108 top-flight games without defeat, held by Ivorian heavyweights ASEC since 1994.

Head coach Xisco Munoz praised the monumental feat while paying tribute to the long-term vision of club owner and Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim (TMJ). Reflecting on the milestone, Munoz said: "It's a historic night." Discussing the club's rise over the past decade under TMJ, the Spanish manager added: "It's incredible how 12 years ago TMJ took this club and put it at this level, in the history of football."

CEO and former Liverpool winger Luis Garcia also highlighted the owner's relentless drive when speaking to ESPN: "When I signed for JDT, part of me getting involved was his [the Crown Prince's] passion, his mentality and his ambition. He inspires you because his work ethic is outstanding. He's in every day at 6 a.m. in the morning and finishes at 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. He won't stop until we are a club, a team, a brand that is well-known around the world."

The 109-game sequence stretching back to 2021 crowns an era of absolute domestic supremacy that has yielded 12 consecutive Malaysia Super League titles. Beyond their borders, the Southern Tigers made history in 2015 as the first Southeast Asian side to lift the AFC Cup after defeating Istiklol in the final. Backed by financial muscle and elite infrastructure inspired by Real Madrid's facilities, JDT continue to raise their profile, underlined by a 3-3 pre-season draw with Premier League giants Chelsea.

The reigning champions now head into the 2026-27 campaign determined to extend their world-record streak and capture an unprecedented 13th successive league crown. Under Garcia's leadership, the hierarchy is accelerating plans for a 39-acre training complex to support their ambitions in the AFC Champions League. Sustaining high performance across domestic and continental fronts remains central to TMJ's goal of establishing JDT as a globally recognised powerhouse.