European Football
Johor Darul Ta'zim Make Football History With World-Record 109-Game Unbeaten Run
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Johor Darul Ta'zim have written their name into football history after extending their unbeaten league run to 109 matches, setting a new world record with a 3–0 victory over Kuching City.
The Malaysian champions entered Friday's opening fixture of the new Super League campaign knowing that avoiding defeat would take them beyond the previous benchmark of 108 consecutive unbeaten league matches, set by Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas between 1989 and 1994.
[Reuters]
They did more than simply avoid defeat.
JDT produced another convincing victory at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium to claim the record outright.
JDT go beyond 108
The Southern Tigers had already matched ASEC Mimosas' historic record when they ended last season with a remarkable 14–1 victory over Kelantan The Real Warriors in May.
That result took their unbeaten league streak to 108 matches, leaving Friday's fixture against Kuching City as the potential record-breaking occasion.
[The Star +1]
There was no slip-up.
Marcos Guilherme opened the scoring in the 11th minute, before Oscar Arribas doubled JDT's advantage after half-time.
Shahab Zahedi then completed the scoring as JDT secured a comfortable 3–0 victory.
[Reuters]
The result means the record now belongs solely to JDT.
Four years without a league defeat
The scale of the achievement becomes even clearer when looking at how long JDT have maintained their dominance.
The club's last league defeat came in April 2021.
Since then, they have completed four consecutive Malaysian Super League campaigns without losing a match.
That consistency has also translated into trophies.
JDT are chasing a 13th consecutive Malaysian league title, having established themselves as the dominant force in Malaysian domestic football.
[Reuters]
In each of the last three campaigns, they dropped points in only one league match.
Xisco Muñoz celebrates historic achievement
JDT head coach Xisco Muñoz was understandably proud after his team finally broke the record.
The Spanish coach described the achievement as a proud moment of his career and immediately challenged his players to continue extending the remarkable streak.
"“Our aim now is to keep this streak going and make the numbers even greater.”"
That mentality could be crucial.
Breaking the record is one challenge. Maintaining an unbeaten run after becoming the team everyone wants to beat is another.
JDT CEO Luis García, a former Liverpool Champions League winner, also acknowledged how difficult it is to remain unbeaten for such a prolonged period.
Every opponent now has an additional incentive when facing the Southern Tigers.
A record that stood for 32 years
JDT's achievement is particularly significant because the previous record had survived for more than three decades.
ASEC Mimosas went 108 league matches unbeaten between 1989 and 1994, establishing a benchmark that remained untouched until JDT matched it earlier this year.
[Reuters]
Now, the Malaysian side have moved beyond it.
The record stands at 109 consecutive unbeaten league matches — and JDT have no intention of stopping there.
From Malaysian dominance to global recognition
JDT's rise has been remarkable.
The club have won 12 consecutive domestic league titles and have increasingly invested in infrastructure, recruitment and coaching to establish themselves as one of Asia's most ambitious clubs.
Their ambition has also been evident beyond Malaysia.
Earlier this month, JDT played out a thrilling 3–3 draw with Chelsea in a pre-season friendly, another reminder of the club's growing profile.
[Reuters]
But Friday's achievement is arguably their biggest statement yet.
A domestic unbeaten streak lasting more than five years is difficult enough. Doing it while carrying the pressure of being the country's dominant club makes the accomplishment even more remarkable.
How long can JDT keep going?
The record has now been broken, but the next question is already obvious:
How far can JDT take it?
Their next league fixture comes against Kelantan Red Warrior FC on Wednesday, giving them an immediate opportunity to extend the record to 110 matches.
[Reuters]
For now, though, JDT can celebrate.
They were already the dominant force in Malaysian football.
Now they are officially the owners of the longest unbeaten league run in men's football history at 109 matches.
And the Southern Tigers are still unbeaten.
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