New: AFF Cup 2026 makes big change to summer, will it be difficult for Vietnam to defend the throne?

According to the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF), the ASEAN Cup (formerly known as the AFF Cup) will have major changes in 2026.

2026 will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the number one tournament at the national team level in Southeast Asia. After 15 tournaments, Thailand is the most successful team in the AFF Cup, with 7 championship titles (1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022). The teams behind are Singapore (4 times), Vietnam (3 times) and Malaysia (1 time). Currently, the Vietnamese team is the defending champion of this tournament when it was crowned at the AFF Cup 2024.

The Vietnam team is currently the champion of the AFF Cup.

PHOTO: NGOC LINH

AFF Cup changes name and competition time

In 2026, the Korean conglomerate Hyundai Motor will be the new sponsor. Therefore, the tournament will be officially called the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026. In addition to this change, it is expected that the matches in the tournament will also be completely moved to the summer, instead of the end and beginning of the calendar year as in previous tournaments.

According to ESPN Asia, the group stage will take place in a round-robin format, from July 24 to August 8, 2026. Meanwhile, the knockout round, including the semi-finals and the first-leg final, will be held from August 15 to 26, 2026.

AFF President Khiev Sameth said: "The ASEAN Hyundai Cup is Southeast Asia's premier international football tournament and the confirmation of the 2026 tournament dates is of special significance. We are grateful for the unwavering support of our fans since 1996 and look forward to continuing to elevate the tournament to an even greater international event."

The teams will have their strongest squads and compete during FIFA Days.

PHOTO: NGOC LINH

Football expert Gabriel Tan said that the changes made by the AFF will help the tournament become much better in quality. At the same time, he said that the Vietnamese team and other teams participating in the tournament will benefit greatly from having the strongest squad.

“Since 2000, the tournament has been held at the end or beginning of the calendar year to align with the domestic leagues of most countries. This is not a time in the FIFA Days series, so clubs are not willing to release players to the national team. However, the AFF has decided to change the schedule to 2026, to better align with the national championships of countries in the region. ASEAN's move to mid-year will be the ideal time for all teams to field their strongest squads, instead of missing many key players like in previous tournaments. The appeal will certainly be enhanced when the strongest stars of the region will all converge,” said Mr. Gabriel Tan.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/moi-aff-cup-2026-thay-doi-lon-chuyen-sang-mua-he-viet-nam-kho-bao-ve-ngoi-vuong-18525111419193709.htm