AFF Cup unexpectedly moved to summer, will Vietnam's domestic league be 'unstable'?

The Vietnamese team will have 4 months to prepare for the AFF Cup 2026 - the tournament that coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will participate in as the defending champions. The AFF Cup 2026 will be moved from winter to summer and this will affect the football tournament system in Vietnam.

No date for AFF Cup 2026 draw yet

The 2026 AFF Cup will be the 16th time that teams from Southeast Asian member associations have competed in the biennial cycle, since the first tournament was held in Singapore in 1996.

The official draw ceremony for the AFF Cup - ASEAN Hyundai Cup™ 2026 will be held next year (the specific time will be announced by AFF).

The Vietnamese team will play Malaysia in the Asian Cup qualifiers on March 31, 2026 and will participate in the AFF Cup 2026 at the end of July.

The AFF Cup 2026 will officially return next summer, promising to bring a fiery football atmosphere across Southeast Asia. According to the recently announced schedule, the qualifying matches will take place on June 2 and June 9, opening the journey to find the last tickets to the group stage.

The teams will then enter the group stage from July 24 to August 8, before progressing to the semi-finals starting on August 15. The tournament will conclude with the second leg of the final on August 26, which promises to be the biggest football party of the year in the region.

According to the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF), the adjustment of the AFF Cup to the summer will not affect the competition system of domestic professional tournaments. A VPF representative said that the schedule has been carefully calculated to ensure stability for the 2026 season.

In fact, the V-League next season is expected to end in mid-June, coinciding with the time when the Vietnamese team does not have to participate in the AFF Cup qualifiers. Therefore, the new schedule is considered "completely impartial", helping the Vietnamese team have time to prepare fully, avoid overload and ensure the strongest force for the journey to conquer the regional throne.

With reasonable changes and favorable preparation time, fans have every right to expect an explosive AFF Cup 2026, where the Vietnamese team can aim for the highest achievement.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/aff-cup-bat-ngo-chuyen-sang-mua-he-giai-quoc-noi-viet-nam-khong-choi-voi-185251119143323315.htm