Vietnam faces Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan at the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup.

The 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup is the first regional international football tournament directly managed and operated by FIFA, separate from the traditional Southeast Asian championship organized by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), known as the ASEAN Cup or previously the AFF Cup. This tournament also expands beyond the scope of AFF members.

The 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup will be held within the new extended FIFA Days window, which applies from 2026. As a result, the national team camps in September and October will be merged into a three-week period (from September 21 to October 6). The tournament will run from September 24 to October 3. Detailed match schedules and regulations will be announced later. The event will take place from September 24 to October 3.

Being held during the FIFA Days schedule allows the FIFA ASEAN Cup to field the strongest lineups from each team. Consequently, the quality of matches is expected to be higher than that of the ASEAN Cup. Results from the tournament will also count toward the FIFA World Rankings.

The first edition features 14 teams. Among them, 11 are from Southeast Asia, and three guest teams are India, Hong Kong (China), and Pakistan.

The tournament is split into two divisions: Division 1 and Division 2. Vietnam competes in Division 1 and is in Group B alongside Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines. Group A of Division 1 consists of Indonesia, India, Malaysia, and Singapore. In Division 2, Group A contains Hong Kong, Myanmar, and Brunei; Group B consists of Cambodia, Laos, and Timor-Leste.

Division 1 matches will be held in Indonesia, while Division 2 will be hosted in Hong Kong.

The adoption of the two-division model is expected to boost the tournament's competitiveness, as teams of similar skill levels face each other more often, thereby improving the professional standard and reducing mismatches.

For Division 2 teams, this is also a chance to gain international experience, gradually close the gap in quality, and aim for promotion to the higher division.

It is anticipated that teams will play a single round-robin format. In both divisions, the group winners will advance to the final, while the two group runners-up will compete for third place.

Currently, AFF member associations are carrying out registration procedures according to FIFA guidelines to finalize preparations before the tournament kicks off. Each team is expected to register a preliminary squad of between 35 and 55 players, including at least 4 goalkeepers.

Thus, after coach Kim Sang-sik and his squad conclude their journey at the 2026 ASEAN Cup, they will continue preparations for the first-ever FIFA ASEAN Cup.