The world’s football governing body FIFA on August 27 announced that Vietnam and Thailand have been placed in Group B of Division 1 at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, alongside the Philippines and Pakistan.

The inaugural tournament will be played from September 24 to October 3, with Division 1 matches to take place in Indonesia.

The FIFA draw sets up a quick reunion between the two regional powerhouses, who met in the ASEAN Cup 2026 final this month.

Vietnam won the first leg 2-0 in Bangkok before drawing 2-2 with Thailand in the return match at My Dinh National Stadium on August 26, completing a 4-2 aggregate victory to retain the regional title.

Their next meeting, however, will have a different context. Rather than deciding the ASEAN Championship title, the two sides will compete for top spot in their FIFA ASEAN Cup group, with the group winners advancing directly to the final.

Group A will see Indonesia play Malaysia, Singapore and Bangladesh.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 is a new regional competition separate from the traditional ASEAN Championship and is being held under FIFA’s management and the FIFA international match calendar.

The tournament features a two-division format, with Division 1 involving eight teams and Division 2 six teams in the inaugural edition. Division 1 will be staged in Indonesia, while Division 2 will be hosted in Hong Kong (China).

The FIFA calendar slot gives participating national teams an important advantage that they can call up their strongest available squads, including players based overseas. Matches also count toward the FIFA World Rankings, adding another layer of significance to the competition.

FIFA weighs ASEAN Cup expansion, Vietnam could face new opponents

VOV.VN - FIFA is considering expanding the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 to 16 teams by inviting two additional national sides, a move that could reshape the tournament draw and present Vietnam with new opponents in the inaugural edition held under FIFA's official patronage.