Former Chelsea academy forward Jude Soonsup-Bell declared his determination to lead Thailand to regional glory at the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup this month. The 22-year-old Port FC attacker reflected on his childhood dream of representing the War Elephants, brushing aside past youth appearances for England to chase a major international honour in Asia.
A wave of top European league talent could feature in FIFA's newly launched regional tournament taking place between 24 September and 5 October. With 14 nations set to compete across two divisions, FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailed the initiative for providing meaningful international opportunities.
Asian football is enjoying an unprecedented boom across Europe's top five leagues, driven by massive contingents from Japan and South Korea. Indonesian talents have also made historic inroads by featuring in four of the top five divisions alongside representatives from Thailand, China, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.
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