What is the difference between the FIFA ASEAN Cup and the AFF Cup?

Southeast Asia is about to have two national team tournaments that seem similar but differ greatly in FIFA Days, squads, format, and organizing bodies.

Football fans in Southeast Asia will have to get used to a rather special reality: the region now has two completely separate national team tournaments, including the FIFA ASEAN Cup and the ASEAN Championship - the tournament commonly known as the AFF Cup.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup was announced by FIFA on October 26, 2025, after signing a new cooperation agreement with ASEAN in Kuala Lumpur. FIFA stated that this is a new tournament, developed following the model of the FIFA Arab Cup, and it does not replace the Southeast Asian championship organized by AFF.

According to VFF, the first edition will take place from September 24 to October 3, 2026,exactly on FIFA Days. This is a key difference that could make the FIFA ASEAN Cup very attractive: teams can call up their best players, including stars playing abroad. The results also count towards the FIFA rankings with the coefficient applied to matches during FIFA Days.

The AFF Cup is the traditional championship of the region, established in 1996 and is held every two years. The 2026 edition carries the commercial name ASEAN Hyundai Cup, featuring 11 Southeast Asian football nations, with group stage matches played home-and-away before the semifinals and two-legged final.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup also creates a strong difference in composition. Division 1 in 2026 includes Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, and Singapore. Division 2 has Hong Kong, Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, and Timor-Leste. Thus, the new tournament is no longer confined within AFF boundaries, with the appearance of guest teams from outside Southeast Asia.

Vietnam also faces two very different campaigns. In the 2026 AFF Cup, coach Kim Sang Sik's team is defending the championship they won in 2024. Only about a month after the AFF tournament ends, Vietnam will enter the FIFA ASEAN Cup and be in the same group as Thailand, Philippines, and Pakistan.

When announcing the new tournament, FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized: “The FIFA ASEAN Cup will be a great addition to the regional football calendar and help the best Southeast Asian players shine on the global stage.”

The parallel existence of these two tournaments could therefore open a completely new era for Southeast Asian football, where the AFF championship still carries traditional value, while the FIFA ASEAN Cup promises to bring stronger squads and matchups that go beyond regional borders.