The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has announced a record prize pool of S$1 million for the 2026-27 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season, representing a 67 percent increase from last year’s S$600,000 total. The league will commence on September 11 with Tampines Rovers hosting Balestier Khalsa at Our Tampines Hub.
Defending champions Lion City Sailors, who secured a 2-0 victory over Tampines Rovers in the Community Shield on September 6, will begin their league campaign on September 12 against Hougang United at Bishan Stadium. The season’s prize money has been significantly boosted across the board, with the winners set to receive S$250,000, up S$50,000 from last year.
The runners-up will see their prize rise sharply to S$230,000 from S$150,000, while the third-placed team will benefit from the largest increase, with rewards nearly doubling from S$100,000 to S$220,000. Prize increments for teams finishing fourth through sixth will range between 3 and 120 percent, aiming to foster greater competition throughout the eight-team league.
Founded in 1996 as the S.League and rebranded in 2018 to the Singapore Premier League, the competition features Balestier Khalsa, FC Jurong, Geylang International, Hougang United, Lion City Sailors, Tampines Rovers, Tanjong Pagar United, and the Young Lions. The revised prize structure is intended to incentivize clubs to strive for higher league positions and enhance the overall standard of play.
Badri Ghent, FAS general secretary, emphasized that the increased prize money and competitive incentives are designed to elevate the league’s quality and sustainability. “The changes announced today are about creating more meaningful competition across the table, rewarding performance, and raising standards both on and off the pitch,” he said, highlighting the association’s focus on long-term growth.
In addition to the financial enhancements, the SPL will introduce an upgraded video assistant referee (VAR) system through a new partnership with Hawk-Eye Innovations. The enhanced VAR setup will include dedicated goal-line cameras and virtual offside line technology, deployed across all matches and at the eight clubs, aiming to improve officiating accuracy and match integrity this season.