 Hong Kong played an important role in the early development of Asian football, and was given the honour of hosting the first Asian Cup competition in 1956, in which Hong Kong came third in the tournament.Having been a part of the British Empire, and, more recently part of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong fields a separate FIFA-recognised representative team.HKFA is also responsible for operating the Hong Kong national football team (), which represents Hong Kong and competes in international football events.