AFF Cup 2026 has big changes, Southeast Asia C1 Cup continues to be held

(Dan Tri) - Right before the second leg of the 2024-2025 Southeast Asian Cup final took place last night, the AFF made an announcement about this tournament in the next season. At the same time, they also made an announcement related to the AFF Cup.

Instead of taking place at the end of even-numbered years (2020, 2022, 2024...), and then moving to the beginning of the following year, the AFF Cup 2026 may take place in the middle of even-numbered years.

The Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) plans for the 2026 AFF Cup to take place from July 25 to August 26 next year.

The Vietnamese team will defend the AFF Cup championship earlier than usual (Photo: Huong Duong).

This change is to help football teams in the region more conveniently arrange their competition schedules. The time around July to August every year is the time when most national championships in the region have ended, and the new season has not yet begun.

Thanks to that, national teams in Southeast Asia will find it easier to gather players for the AFF Cup, avoiding conflicts of interest with clubs.

Furthermore, the AFF Cup taking place in the middle of the year will make it easier for many Southeast Asian football stars, especially those playing abroad, to participate in the tournament.

Next season's Southeast Asian Cup will take place at the same time as this season (Photo: Manh Quan).

The AFF's move to the middle of the year is also a step towards organizing the Southeast Asian Football Championship during FIFA Days (a series of days when FIFA allows teams around the world to gather and perform international duties). This is an inevitable trend of global football, and Southeast Asian football must gradually get used to it.

If the AFF Cup 2026 officially takes place from July 25 to August 26 as planned, this tournament will take place right after the 2026 World Cup.

As for the 2025-2026 Southeast Asian Cup, the tournament will take place from August 2025 to May 2026, similar to the time frame of the current Southeast Asian Cup season.

The first season of the Southeast Asian C1 Cup went very well, especially the dramatic final match between the two clubs Cong An Ha Noi (CAHN) and Buriram United (Thailand).

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/aff-cup-2026-thay-doi-lon-cup-c1-dong-nam-a-tiep-tuc-duoc-to-chuc-20250522001301065.htm