ASEAN Cup 2026 moved to summer

The ASEAN Cup 2026 Organizing Committee has officially announced the competition schedule, confirming that the largest regional tournament will return in the summer of 2026, on the occasion of its 30th anniversary.

ASEAN Cup 2026 will move to summer.

According to the schedule announced by AFF on the afternoon of November 14, the group stage will take place in a round-robin format from July 24 to August 8, 2026, before the tournament moves into its most intense phase. The knockout round, including the semi-finals and the final, will be held from August 15 to 26, 2026.

The tournament takes place immediately after the World Cup ends in the US, Canada and Mexico (from June 11 to July 19). Previously, the ASEAN Cup was held in August or September in the early years under the names Tiger Cup or AFF Cup. Since 2000, the tournament has moved to the time frame of November to January of the following year.

The 2026 edition will be the 16th edition of the tournament since the inaugural edition in Singapore in 1996, marking a three-decade journey for regional teams competing in what is considered the biggest stage of Southeast Asian football.

Sharing about the historic milestone, Mr. Khiev Sameth, President of AFF, emphasized: "ASEAN Cup is the leading international tournament in Southeast Asia and the confirmation of the schedule for the 2026 edition has special significance. We are grateful for the continuous support of fans since 1996 and look forward to continuing to elevate the tournament to become an event of even greater international stature."

The ASEAN Cup has been held 15 times with Thailand being the most successful team, with 7 championship titles (1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022). The teams that come after are Singapore (4 times), Vietnam (3 times) and Malaysia (1 time). Vietnam is currently the defending champion.

Source: https://znews.vn/asean-cup-2026-doi-sang-mua-he-post1602787.html