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Vietnam under pressure: New FIFA ASEAN Cup threatens to break dominance!
Find out all about the new FIFA ASEAN Cup, the changes in Southeast Asian football and Thailand's challenge after Vietnam's victory.
Vietnam under pressure: New FIFA ASEAN Cup threatens to break dominance!
In the last few weeks, football in Southeast Asia has opened a future-oriented chapter. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced the launch of the new FIFA ASEAN Cup, an eleven-team tournament hosted in this dynamic region. This was signed on October 26, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur as part of a memorandum on football development, which was endorsed by both Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn. Loud Vietnam.vn The aim of this tournament is to sustainably improve the framework conditions for football in Southeast Asia.
The new format is particularly interesting as experts fear that the Vietnamese national team, which recently won the ASEAN Cup, could lose its dominant position. The AFF Cup, previously the region's premier event, tends to attract fewer big stars and is not held on FIFA days. This means that many teams, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, will have the opportunity to field their strongest players, who are often active abroad. This development could come at just the right time, as competition in regional football is becoming more intense.
ASEAN Cup: Vietnam's triumph and new challenges
Despite these new challenges, Vietnam has just won the ASEAN Cup with a thrilling 5-3 aggregate win over Thailand. In the second leg on January 5, 2025 at the Rajamangala Stadium in Thailand, they took the lead in the eighth minute with a goal from Pham Tuan Hai. Thailand equalized in the 28th minute through Ben Davies, but the game took even more exciting turns. In the 65th minute, Thailand scored a controversial goal and the game moved to 3-3 on aggregate. But Vietnam showed strong nerves and put the decisive shot into the net in the 82nd minute, while a red card against Thailand from the 75th minute further complicated the situation. In stoppage time, Nguyen Hai Long finally made the final with a goal into an empty net. This was the third title for Vietnam in ASEAN Cup history and the first since 2018, as VNExpress reported.
A look into the future
The football community is excited to see what impact the newly introduced tournament will have on existing formats. The FIFA ASEAN Cup is officially recognized and sponsored by FIFA, giving it a global significance that the AFF Cup lacks. Experts, including Malaysian football expert Raja Isa, see FIFA's decision as a step forward for Southeast Asian football. The new initiative could not only provide an incentive for teams, but also help take the development of football in the region to a new level. The MOU on football development includes important points such as integrity in the game and an improved playing environment, which underlines the positive development in Southeast Asia.
With 700 million football fans, the region is considered extremely vital and dynamic. The football tournament, which is extensively planned, could also significantly shape the future of football's rise in Southeast Asia. Future developments, including the next edition of the ASEAN Championship, planned as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup in 2026, are also on the table. It remains to be seen how these changes will impact the dynamics of Asian football.