Football 

Vietnamese women's players are training in Hà Nội for international tournaments in 2025. Việt Nam will host the regional ASEAN Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 in August. Photos of VFF

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will host the ASEAN Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup 2025, with Southeast Asia’s premier matches scheduled in August.

The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) announced the news on May 13, confirming Phú Thọ and Hải Phòng as competition venues for the games from August 6-19.

The round-robin group games for the eight-team tournament will be played at the Việt Trì and Lạch Tray stadiums.

Việt Trì Stadium, which was the venue for Việt Nam’s home games during their successful ASEAN Championship 2024 campaign, will host both semi-final matches, the third-place play-off and the final.

Among participants at the 13th edition are defending champions, the Philippines, four-time winners Thailand, and three-time champions Việt Nam, who are also favourites for this year's title.

The full list of participating teams will be released soon. They will be divided into two groups, with the draw to be conducted on June 9.

“The ASEAN Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 marks an important milestone in our shared journey to elevate women’s football in Southeast Asia," said AFF President Major General Khiev Sameth.

"Hosted with the support of the Việt Nam Football Federation, this moment sets the stage for what promises to be a landmark edition of our region’s most prestigious women’s football tournament.

"With the invaluable support of our title partner MSIG, we are witnessing the rapid rise of the women’s game in ASEAN, not just in performance, but in passion, pride and purpose. We eagerly look forward to a tournament that will celebrate excellence, foster unity and inspire a new generation of female athletes across our region.”

In response, Việt Nam Football Federation President Trần Quốc Tuấn said Việt Nam were tremendously honoured to host the regional championship, an occasion of great pride that reflected the remarkable growth of women’s football, not only in Việt Nam but also Southeast Asia.

He said the opportunity was a recognition of local authorities' commitment to the women’s game and a responsibility that Việt Nam embraced wholeheartedly.

“Together with the ASEAN Football Federation and our valued partners, we are dedicated to delivering a tournament that showcases the spirit, skill and unity of ASEAN football," he said.

“We eagerly await the official draw on June 9 as it marks another important step in our journey to welcome Southeast Asia’s finest women’s teams to Phú Thọ and Hải Phòng." 

VFF President Trần Quốc Tuấn (third from the right) and General Director of MSIG Vietnam  Yoshinori Ito (third from the left) with members of the VFF and MSIG Vietnam. -- Photo courtesy of MSIG

MSIG, one of the leading general insurers in ASEAN, has become the first-ever title partner of the ASEAN Women’s Championship.

“As title partner of the ASEAN Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup, we are proud to be at the forefront of advancing women’s football across the region," said general director of MSIG Vietnam, Yoshinori Ito.

"Our commitment goes beyond sponsorship – we are championing a movement that empowers female athletes, brings communities together, and inspires the next generation. It is a great honour for Việt Nam to host this tournament – a landmark event for both the region and women’s sport – and we look forward to witnessing the passion and talent it will showcase.”

ASEAN women’s national team performances have been rising steadily on the international level.

Thailand took part in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019, and the Philippines and Việt Nam made their debuts in 2023

In 2022, Việt Nam entered the tournament as defending AFF champions but failed to retain the title after losing 0-4 to the Philippines in the semi-finals. The hosts went on to win their first title in history by defeating Thailand 3-0 in the final. VNS