Schedule confirmed for FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026: Vietnam to face Thailand on September 29
WVR - The Vietnam and Thailand national teams will meet again in about a month at the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.
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| The Vietnam and Thailand national teams have confirmed their rematch date. (Source: VFF) |
The match schedule for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 has just been officially confirmed.
Accordingly, Vietnam will play their opening match against the Philippines at 7:30 PM on September 26. Three days later, Coach Kim Sang Sik's squad will have a highly anticipated match against Thailand at 7:30 PM. The ASEAN Cup champions will conclude their group stage against Pakistan at 7:30 PM on October 2.
Thus, after about a month, Vietnam and Thailand will face off again in this first-ever FIFA-organized tournament. In the ASEAN Cup 2026, Vietnam won 2-0 in the first leg of the finals and then drew 2-2 at My Dinh Stadium in the return leg, ultimately winning 4-2 to successfully defend their championship.
After finishing second in the ASEAN Cup twice in a row, Thailand is determined to compete against Vietnam.
Coach Anthony Hudson confidently stated: “The fact that the last two training camps were not during FIFA Days posed a challenge in selecting players, but that is also the clubs' prerogative. However, for the upcoming camp in September, we will have our strongest squad. Thailand's goal is to win all matches at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.”
The FIFA ASEAN Cup will take place from September 25 to October 5, divided into two divisions. Division 1 includes the top 8 teams, with Vietnam in Group B alongside Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Group A consists of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangladesh (replacing India, who withdrew).
The format of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 differs from the ASEAN Cup familiar to Southeast Asian fans. The tournament will not feature semifinals. The top two teams from each group will advance directly to the final to compete for the championship.
Despite the short duration of the tournament, FIFA is expected to award substantial prizes to participating teams. The champion of Division 1 is projected to receive one million USD, equivalent to about 26 billion VND. The Division 2 champion will receive 300,000 USD. Each participating team is guaranteed to receive 125,000 USD.
After concluding their journey at the ASEAN Cup 2026, the Vietnamese players will return to their clubs to prepare for the new season.
Dinh Bac and his teammates are expected to regroup in mid-September, with 10 days to prepare for the FIFA ASEAN Cup. This is a tournament that Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team are determined to conquer, not only for the substantial prize but also for the FIFA ranking points and the prestige of being a top team in the region.
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| FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 Match Schedule. (Source: Seasia goal) |
