Fandi Ahmad And Son Irfan Fandi Don’t Watch The FIFA World Cup Together. Here’s Why

You wouldn’t usually expect to meet local football icons Fandi Ahmad and Irfan Fandi off the pitch, let alone on an MRT cabin. But that’s exactly what happened when 8days.sg dropped by Jurong East MRT earlier today for a tour of Rexona's Coolest Football Moments Museum Train in Singapore.

The FIFA World Cup 2026™ season is finally here, and as football fans around the world gear up for a month of dramatic matches and sleepless nights in this part of the world, there's a way for Singaporeans to soak up the excitement a little closer to home.

In fact, you don't have to look any further than your daily commute. A train running on the East-West and North-South lines has been transformed into a six-cabin moving museum celebrating some of football's most iconic moments.

The Football Museum on Rail features themed cabins inspired by football champs Brazil, Germany, Argentina, France and Spain, alongside a tribute to Singapore's football journey. Commuters can also take part in trivia challenges during the train's run from June 10 to July 19, with no fixed schedule.

Fandi and Irfan were invited as special guests for the launch and joined us among the first to explore the immersive themed cabins.

And, well, since we're on the train with Fandi and Irfan, there was no better time to catch up with the father-and-son duo ahead of football's biggest competition.

“I think it’s very impressive to have this for the first time in Singapore, and of course ahead of the World Cup, it’s amazing,” Fandi said of the themed cabins.

Irfan added: “It’s really nice to see all these football-themed cabins representing different countries. It’s also great to be able to experience the history behind them. Like my dad said, this last cabin is a special one, it’s a wonderful display for Singapore football, especially leading up to the Asian Cup.”

Of course, we were curious about when Fandi and Irfan last took the train together. As it turns out, this may well have been the first time — or at least the first in a very long while — that the duo stepped into an MRT cabin together. For real. 

Both father and son burst into laughter the moment we asked the question, sharing a knowing glance before answering in near unison: “Never.”

Fandi explained: “Most times [we’ve taken the train together] we were overseas, [Irfan] was playing in Bangkok, and I was coaching all over, so today is the first day we’re taking the MRT together.”

“The last time I took the train was when I was still serving National Service,” said Irfan. “I was posted to the police unit in Transcom (Public Transport Security Command), so that was about three years ago — actually, wait, it might even be longer than that.”

As for whether they watch the World Cup together or have any special match-day traditions, it turns out they don’t actually watch football together all that often. Surprising, we know.

“We rarely watch it together,” said Fandi. He added that the match timings will likely make it difficult for him to catch all the games, as he needs to prioritise sleep ahead of an upcoming work trip to Kuala Lumpur.

Irfan added: “To be honest, we don’t really watch football that much at home. Maybe for big games like finals, semi-finals, or big teams playing against each other, then we will watch. But I think because our lives are so full of football, sometimes when we’re at home, we’d rather do other things.”

When we asked Fandi what Irfan, who turns 29 soon, does that reminds him of himself at that age, Irfan chuckles softly. Meanwhile, Fandi, seemingly unaware of the humour beside him, responds very sincerely. 

“He knows his responsibilities, and sometimes he’s a bit stubborn, but he knows me very well and I always give him advice. The most important lesson I’ve told him is to respect people, always carry the family name well, and be disciplined in whatever he does. To have a better future, he has to work very hard and never give up in life.”