The first edition of the Merdeka Tournament was held in August and September 1957 in Malaya. It was won by Hong Kong League XI. Singapore won a consolation tournament for teams that did not qualify for the final round.
First round
A series of knockout ties was held to determine which teams would compete in the second round. The match between South Vietnam and Singapore required a replay as the score was level at the end of the first match. First Round Replay ==Second round==
Second round
The winning teams from the first round played a series of matches against one another. The team finishing top of the group was the tournament winner. ==Consolation Tournament==
Consolation Tournament
The losing teams from the first round played a series of matches against one another as a consolation tournament. The team finishing top of the group was the winner of this tournament. ==Goalscorers==