The draw for the men's football event at the 2026 Asian Games placed the Vietnam Olympic team in Group C alongside Uzbekistan, the Philippines, and Kuwait.

The Vietnam national team will officially begin their journey at the ASEAN Cup 2026 with a clash against Timor Leste at 8:30 PM on July 24 at a neutral venue in Chonburi, Thailand.

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A few days after the World Cup 2026 ball stopped rolling in North America, another ball began to roll in Southeast Asia. Just as FIFA President Gianni Infantino was still floating the controversial idea of expanding the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, the ASEAN Cup—a tournament that just turned 30 years old since the 1996 Tiger Cup—quietly kicked off without any similar discussion about reinventing itself.

The encounter with Timor Leste on a neutral field in Thailand marks the beginning of Kim Sang Sik's squad's title defense. Against a rival deemed the weakest in Group A, Vietnam aims for more than just three points—they seek a dominant win to boost goal difference, demonstrate their power, and save energy for the grueling road ahead.

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Two years ago, the Vietnam team were conquerors. Now at the ASEAN Cup 2026, they are the defending champions. Expectations are naturally high, but alongside that, the pressure is also immense.

If the 2024 ASEAN Cup was the tournament where Vietnam claimed the title thanks to the explosion of Xuan Son and a tight, efficient playing style, the 2026 ASEAN Cup will likely witness a more convincing version.