The Vietnamese national team are the reigning ASEAN Cup champion. — Photo courtesy of the VFF

HÀ NỘI — Defending champions Việt Nam have been drawn into Group A alongside Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and the winner of the playoff between Brunei and Timor Leste for the ASEAN Championship 2026, also known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026, following the official draw held in Jakarta on Thursday.

The group poses a stiff test for Việt Nam as they seek to retain the regional title. Indonesia, now led by new coach John Herdman, are expected to present a formidable challenge to the Golden Dragons. Historically, Indonesia have reached the tournament final six times but have finished runners-up on each occasion, in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2016 and 2020. In the most recent edition, Indonesia were eliminated at the group stage.

The ASEAN Cup 2026 will be staged from July 24 to August 26, after the conclusion of national leagues, a schedule that allows Indonesia and other teams to field strong squads fully prepared for the title race.

Group B features reigning runners-up Thailand, who will compete against Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos.

The group stage will be played in a round-robin format, with each team contesting four matches, two at home and two away, between July 24 and August 8. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. Both the semi-finals and the final will be played over two legs from August 15 to August 26.

At the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the Vietnamese national team secured the championship by defeating Thailand 5-3 on aggregate over two legs in the final, claiming the Southeast Asian title for the third time.

The tournament also attracted widespread attention, recording more than 541 million views across television and digital platforms, alongside nearly 13 billion views of related content on social media.

The 2026 edition will coincide with the 30th anniversary of the tournament’s establishment, raising expectations of a landmark event for Southeast Asian football. — VNS