FIFA ASEAN Cup takes place in parallel with AFF Cup (currently ASEAN Championship)
According to ASEAN FOOTBALL , the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the AFF Congress will promote high-level discussions on the FIFA ASEAN Cup organized by the world football body, following the historic memorandum of understanding signed between ASEAN and FIFA at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia on October 26.
The Vietnam team is the current champion of the AFF Cup, and will have the opportunity to conquer the upcoming FIFA ASEAN Cup championship.
Photo: Ngoc Linh
"This is a step closer to the official launch of the FIFA ASEAN Cup, expected in 2027. This new tournament for Southeast Asian football will also be part of the FIFA International Match Programme 2027, and will be completely separate from the regional AFF Cup organized by the AFF for a long time," according to ASEAN FOOTBALL .
According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, speaking on October 26, the FIFA ASEAN Cup was created to breathe new life into football in the region, and at the same time symbolize the unity of ASEAN countries through the world's most popular sport .
The upcoming FIFA ASEAN Cup is described as being similar in format to the highly successful FIFA Arab Cup, also organised by FIFA.
Regional press has assessed that the FIFA ASEAN Cup could create a new era for Southeast Asian football, alongside the AFF Cup tournament taking place in parallel. More significantly, the FIFA ASEAN Cup will take place during the FIFA Days calendar, and can be wrapped up in 2 weeks, helping teams summon all their best players to compete.
According to journalist T. Avineshwaran of The Star (Malaysia): "The launch of the FIFA ASEAN Cup will breathe new life into regional football, which has long focused on the AFF Cup, and the tournament is not included in the FIFA Days schedule, which has always made it difficult for teams and their goals to participate. This is good news, very much worth looking forward to. Hopefully, this tournament will create a new impetus for the development of regional football."
According to the latest schedule, the AFF Cup 2026 will take place in the summer of next year, just about a week after the 2026 World Cup ends.
The tournament will have 10 teams in the region participating, but will last more than 1 month (from July 24 to August 26, 2026). This may cause difficulties for national championships in the region to adjust the opening date of the new season. Clubs will also have to consider whether to release players to the national team or not, because the AFF Cup 2026 takes place at a time when many teams are preparing for the new season.
Therefore, the event of FIFA President, Gianni Infantino coming to Southeast Asia and officially launching the upcoming FIFA ASEAN Cup, has created a big push that can completely change the face of football in the region.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chu-tich-fifa-den-dong-nam-a-giai-fifa-asean-cup-mo-ra-ky-nguyen-moi-185251122103534908.htm
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