Singapore national football team goalkeeper Hassan Sunny will be donating the money transferred by Chinese football fans.

The 40-year-old won overwhelming support from the Chinese fans after making 11 saves during the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifier game between Singapore and Thailand on Jun. 11.

His saves allowed China to advance to the next round of games, thereby keeping China's World Cup dream alive.

"Of course, I will donate the money. When you receive a sum that doesn't belong to you, you must donate it," the goalkeeper told Lianhe Zaobao after a training session for his club, Albirex Niigata Singapore, at Jurong East Stadium on Jun. 13.

While Hassan did not know exactly how much was transferred to him, he refuted rumours online that he had received S$5.8 million from Chinese football fans, adding:

"If I were to receive such a huge amount, I would not have to train here anymore. This is impossible, especially in Singapore, where everything is black and white."

Warns fans of fake QR code and urges "rational support"

On Jun. 13 evening, Hassan also published a post in Mandarin on Instagram, thanking Chinese football fans for their support while urging them to stop transferring money to him.

He said after the QR payment code of his stall, Dapur Hassan, began circulating widely online, some individuals were found posting videos with a fake QR code.

As such, he hoped everyone could avoid falling victim to the scams and support him "rationally".

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A post shared by Hassan Sunny (@hassansunny18)

Speaking to CNA, Hassan said he issued the statement after concerned individuals advised him to distance himself from the money transfers to avoid any misunderstanding.

Hassan added that he was doing this for his family and the safety of his football career, which spanned more than 20 years since he was 18 or 19.

With the struggles and sacrifices he has made over the years for his career, Hassan did not want to risk jeopardising or destroying it "in just one snap of the finger".

@mothershipsg We wanted to try Dapur Hassan's nasi lemak too but the queue was too long 😭😭😭 #hassansunny #fypsg #tiktoksg #singapore #china #football #dapurhassan #fyp ♬ original sound - Mothership

Grateful for Chinese football fans' support

Despite his decision to donate the money received, Hassan told Zaobao he was very grateful for the support from Chinese football fans.

"I am happy to receive such recognition, but I was simply doing my job [at the game between Singapore and Thailand]. In terms of results, the game was not something to be proud of. However, for me, it feels great to receive such recognition from another country."

The goalkeeper also shared that while his phone kept vibrating, he believed that the attention on him would fade away soon.

"I will take [the recognition] as a compliment and will not get carried away by it. It is a wonderful experience, as this kind of support does not happen every day. Frankly speaking, we rarely receive this kind of support in Singapore, so it is really incredible," added Hassan.

Heading to China in the future?

When asked whether he would consider playing football in China after he became an overnight sensation there, Hassan said he would not rule out the possibility, especially considering his age.

"At my age, why not? When a good opportunity comes, I will consider it and make the best decision for me and my family," he added.

Hassan has also created a Douyin (the Chinese equivalent of TikTok) account and posted his first video, reported 8world News.

In the caption, Hassan wrote that he hopes Chinese football fans will come to Singapore and try the nasi lemak at his stall when they have the chance.

He also said he hopes to visit China to taste Chinese food "soon" and asked Douyin users to share their food recommendations with him.

As of Jun. 16 morning, his Douyin has garnered some 413,000 fans while his video has been viewed around 782,000 times.

Top images via Lucieee/Xiaohongshu & Hassan Sunny/Douyin