Indonesia just did something that gives the Vietnam national team a major advantage in the FIFA tournament.

Indonesia has finalized two venues for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, potentially giving Vietnam a big edge.

Indonesia has selected two locations for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, the tournament is scheduled to take place at the end of September. According to information released by the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) during a meeting with the Indonesian Ministry of Youth and Sports on August 10, the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta and the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung will be used to host the matches.

Among the two stadiums, Si Jalak Harupat is considered likely to host Group B matches, which include the Vietnam national team. Meanwhile, Gelora Bung Karno, with a capacity of about 77,000 spectators, is expected to host the home games of Indonesia and other important encounters. The famous Jakarta stadium is also a strong candidate for the final match.

If they have to play in Bandung, the Vietnam team could gain a significant advantage in terms of weather conditions. The city is located on the Priangan Plateau in West Java, at an altitude of about 768 meters above sea level. Due to its topography, Bandung generally has a more pleasant climate than many other parts of Indonesia, with average temperatures typically ranging from 22 to 26 degrees Celsius.

The cool climate is also one of the reasons why many tourists compare Bandung to the "Paris of Java." In terms of natural conditions, it shares some similarities with Da Lat in Vietnam, although Bandung's altitude is significantly lower. Therefore, the temperature in this Indonesian city is generally slightly higher than that of Vietnam's famous highland city.

This could become a favorable factor for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team, as the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup is held over a relatively short period with a dense match schedule. The moderate temperatures will help players reduce physical pressure and aid recovery between matches. In the tournament, Vietnam is in Group B with Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Group A consists of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and India.

The 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup is a regional tournament that for the first time will be directly managed by FIFA and operate independently of the traditional AFF Cup. The tournament is scheduled to take place from September 24 to October 3 in Indonesia, coinciding with the FIFA Days. This allows teams to call up their strongest squads, including players based abroad. Notably, the results of the matches will also count toward the FIFA world ranking points.