KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 — Manchester United’s enduring global appeal was on full display at the Malaysia Airlines Pavilion at the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Fair 2026 today, with more than 500 fans turning up to meet club legends Park Ji-sung, Wes Brown and Edwin van der Sar.

The event not only drew supporters from across Malaysia but also fans who travelled from overseas, a testament to the English Premier League giants’ worldwide following.

Among them was avid Red Devils memorabilia collector Adam Schwereb, 52, from Sydney, who flew into Malaysia to attend the event and meet the Manchester United legends, an opportunity he described as “too good to be missed”.

“I flew in last Wednesday to come to Matta Fair. It’s always a good opportunity, coming in from down south to catch up with the boys. And it’s Manchester United; we travel the world for it,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the fair here.

Schwereb, who has attended matches at Old Trafford on several occasions, said events such as this provided supporters who could not travel to England with a rare opportunity to meet their footballing heroes in person.

The lifelong supporter said the initiative was particularly meaningful for younger fans who could now meet players who had played a key role in Manchester United’s decorated history.

He also revealed that the trip would add two prized pieces to his personal Manchester United collection, with items from Park and Van der Sar becoming part of his museum in Sydney.

Young Vietnamese fan Nguyen Danh Truong, 12, was among the foreign fans at the event, travelling from Ho Chi Minh City to Malaysia with his father Nguyen Van Tai.

Truong, who is spending three days in Malaysia, said the meet-and-greet session was the sole reason his father planned the trip.

Meanwhile, Bryan Foong, chief executive officer of Airline Business at Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, said the strong response from supporters reflected the strength of Manchester United’s fan base globally and the value of the airline’s partnership with the club.

“It’s very popular. A lot of people come. It also helps us to create the business and the buzz around Malaysia Airlines as well,” he said.

Foong said the airline’s three-year partnership with Manchester United, which began in 2023, had so far been particularly effective in boosting the national carrier’s visibility and market presence, given the club’s extensive fan base across markets it served.

“The fan base for Manchester United is huge, right? And for us, they’re important and spread out across the world.

“Wherever we are, in terms of where we fly to, like Australia, Southeast Asia, India and even to the United Kingdom, they’re very well received and the Manchester United fans are very loyal. So it’s a good partnership for us,” he said. — Bernama