FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026: Thailand Targets the Championship Title, Vietnam is Full of Enthusiasm

The Thailand national team enters the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup hosted in Indonesia with an explicit championship target. Meanwhile, Vietnam arrives carrying high enthusiasm to compete in the very first edition of this FIFA-sanctioned regional tournament.

Thailand men's national head coach Anthony Hudson confirmed his squad's objectives shortly after the delegation landed in Indonesia on Wednesday, 23 September. Hudson made clear that Thailand did not travel just to participate as tournament fillers.

“We want to win this tournament. That is our target,” stated Hudson upon arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta.

Hudson laid out Thailand's ambitions against the backdrop of a tournament set for a significantly raised competitive standard. The coach noted the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup differs from all previous AFF tournaments, as every participating nation has called up their full first-choice senior players.

“I think the level of this tournament is clearly much higher, because every team is bringing their main core players. During the last AFF tournament, we did not bring our full first choice squad,” Hudson explained.

After clearing arrival procedures at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the Thailand delegation travelled directly to Bandung via the Whoosh high speed train. The West Java city will serve as Thailand's base camp for all Group B Division 1 fixtures.

Physical recovery is the immediate priority for the squad ahead of their opening match. Hudson is working to return all players to peak condition as quickly as possible for the upcoming group stage challenges.

“We have just arrived in Indonesia and we are very excited to play our first match. We need to recover properly and prepare fully for that opening fixture, but every member of this squad is genuinely excited to be here,” said Hudson.

Thailand are drawn in Group B Division 1 alongside Vietnam, the Philippines and Pakistan. Reviewing the group composition, Hudson acknowledged that progressing to the next tournament phase will not be straightforward.

The English head coach also named Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore as leading contenders that will make the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup an extremely tight contest. Nevertheless, Hudson stressed his side will not look beyond their opening match at this stage.

“There are a lot of very strong teams here: Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore just to name a few. With this depth of quality, this will be an incredibly competitive tournament. But right now, we are only focused on our first match,” Hudson added.

Vietnam Arrive With High Enthusiasm

On the other side, the Vietnam squad landed in Indonesia with their own distinct tournament energy. Vietnam defender Jason Quang-Vinh Pendant spoke of the excitement around the inaugural competition after the Vietnamese delegation also touched down at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Wednesday 23 September.

“This is a brand new tournament, the very first edition. We are all really excited to compete here. This is an official FIFA organised event, so I hope everything runs smoothly and we receive great support from football fans across every participating nation,” he told media at the Jakarta airport.

The Vietnam squad travelled onwards to Bandung by team bus. The city will also serve as their base camp for the entire duration of the Group B Division 1 fixtures.

Vietnam's opening match is scheduled against the Philippines at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung on 26 September 2026. They will then face Thailand on 29 September, before closing their group stage against Pakistan on 2 October, with all three matches held at the same venue.

Pendant acknowledged Vietnam will face stiff competition right from their very first fixture. He noted the player quality across every participating nation means full concentration will be required for every single match.

“We will give everything we have to win this group,” he stated.

Vietnam enter the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup carrying strong competitive momentum, having just lifted the 2026 AFF Cup title after defeating Thailand 4-2 on aggregate in the final.

This result saw Vietnam successfully defend their regional championship crown. The squad now aim to carry this winning momentum over into the new FIFA ASEAN Cup tournament.

Thailand enters the tournament with the same end goal, but from a very different contextual position. Hudson has explicitly set winning the entire tournament as his squad's official target, while Vietnam are looking to launch this new era of ASEAN football with a maximum performance campaign.

The upcoming meeting between Thailand and Vietnam on 29 September is already shaping up to be one of the defining Group B fixtures. Before that highly anticipated clash however, both sides will first need to navigate their opening matches and manage squad fitness throughout the full tournament schedule.