AFF announces the schedule for the ASEAN Cup 2026.

The Southeast Asian Football Championship (ASEAN Cup) will change its schedule from winter to summer and will officially adopt the new format starting next summer.

The Vietnamese national team will compete according to the new ASEAN Cup schedule - Photo: TTO

On November 14th, the official website of the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) announced the schedule for the 2026 Southeast Asian Football Championship (ASEAN Cup).

Accordingly, the qualifying matches will take place on June 2nd and 9th. The group stage matches will be held from July 24th to August 8th, the semi-finals from August 15th, and the second leg of the final will take place on August 26th.

Along with the rescheduling, the tournament was also renamed after its new sponsor, the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026.

Previously, the ASEAN Cup (formerly known as the AFF Cup) was held in August and September before 2000. Since 2000, the tournament has shifted to a timeframe from November to January of the following year. This groundbreaking change to the ASEAN Cup will be implemented to coincide with the tournament's 30th anniversary.

The AFF introduced this change to make the tournament more aligned with the timing of national championships in the region.

Moving the ASEAN Cup to mid-year will be an ideal time for clubs to release their players, allowing national teams to field their strongest lineups, contributing to increased competitiveness and attractiveness of the tournament.

Sharing his thoughts on this milestone, AFF President Khiev Sameth emphasized: "The ASEAN Cup is Southeast Asia's leading international tournament, and confirming the schedule for the 2026 edition holds special significance. We are grateful for the unwavering support of our fans since 1996 and look forward to further elevating the tournament to an even larger international event."

The ASEAN Cup has been held 15 times in its history. Thailand is the most successful team in the tournament, with 7 titles (1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022). Following them are Singapore (4 times), Vietnam (3 times), and Malaysia (1 time). Vietnam is the reigning champion.

NGOC LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/aff-cong-bo-lich-thi-dau-asean-cup-2026-20251114211955172.htm