KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian Football League (MFL) has confirmed that the MFL Cup will be discontinued for the 2025-2026 season after all league partners unanimously agreed to abolish the Under-23 competition.
In a statement today, MFL said the decision was made during a meeting with league partners, comprising 13 Super League clubs, on February 19.
Introduced in 2023 to support youth development with backing from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the MFL Cup was a mandatory requirement for club licensing, with teams obliged to field an Under-23 squad.
“However, after two seasons, MFL found that clubs were facing high expenses related to player salaries and logistical operations, amounting to RM28 million across all Super League teams.
“Taking into account the views of all league partners, MFL believes that abolishing the MFL Cup is necessary to strengthen and stabilise the financial position of clubs,” it said.
MFL and its league partners also agreed that players aged 20 to 23 should compete for places in senior squads rather than playing in age-group tournaments.
Despite the MFL Cup’s abolition, youth development remains a priority, with the President’s Cup (Under-20) and Youth Cup (Under-18) continuing under the Football Association of Malaysia.
“With no Under-23 league, MFL is committed to further strengthening the sole domestic league competition, the Super League, for the 2024-2025 season,” the statement added. — March 24, 2025