ASEAN Cup 2026: Vietnam national team enters campaign to defend title

This is not only the opening match of Group A but also the start of a historic goal: to become the first team to successfully defend the Southeast Asian championship, while also conquering the regional title for the fourth time.

The Vietnam national team enters this year's tournament as the defending champion after winning the ASEAN Cup 2024, and holds three Southeast Asian titles (2008, 2018, and 2024). However, in both previous occasions when they entered the tournament as champions, Vietnam failed to successfully defend the crown. Therefore, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team now have the opportunity to create an unprecedented milestone in the tournament's history.

After nearly a month of preparation with a training camp in South Korea and an international friendly against Myanmar, coach Kim Sang Sik has essentially finalized the squad framework for the title defense campaign. The experiments with personnel and tactics have concluded, making way for the strongest lineup aimed at retaining the trophy.

The biggest asset for the Vietnam national team is the return of naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son. The Brazilian-born forward has fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered in the ASEAN Cup 2024 final and is ready to make his comeback. With 7 goals to win the Golden Boot in the last edition, Xuan Son is once again expected to be the main 'cannon', playing a key role in the quest for the fourth regional title.

Alongside Xuan Son, Vietnam maintains a seasoned core with captain Nguyen Quang Hai, midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc, defender Xuan Manh, and several young talents in top form such as Hai Long and Dinh Bac. After the preparatory matches, coach Kim Sang Sik has built a balanced squad combining experience, youth, and the quality of naturalized players, making the team's play more flexible, faster, and harder to predict.

Vietnam's first opponent is Timor Leste, who qualified for the group stage after beating Brunei 6-1 on aggregate in the qualifiers. Despite being rated lower, Timor Leste still possesses some notable players, especially striker Zenivio Gostavo who plays in Singapore. The 21-year-old from Tanjong Pagar FC scored in the qualifiers, while forward Oatnasio da Silva scored a brace from the bench, creating a forward line with pace and formidable counter-attacking ability. Nevertheless, with superior class and squad depth, Vietnam's goal is to secure all three points on the opening day to gain an advantage in the race for top spot in Group A.

Beyond the match between Vietnam and Timor Leste, Group A also sees fierce competition from Cambodia, Singapore, and Indonesia, with the 'Island of Thousands' team considered Vietnam's biggest rival at this year's ASEAN Cup.

Compared to two years ago, the Indonesian team has undergone a strong transformation in both squad and playing style, gathering many quality naturalized players such as Ragnar Oratmangoen, Thom Haye, along with the clear tactical imprint of coach John Herdman. With a heavily invested squad and the ambition to win the Southeast Asian championship for the first time, Indonesia is predicted to be the biggest challenge on Vietnam's title defense journey.

The ASEAN Cup 2026 takes place from July 24 to August 26, marking the 30th anniversary of the Southeast Asian football championship. As the defending champion with a squad considered stronger than the one that won in 2024, the Vietnam national team has the opportunity to make history if they successfully defend the crown—a feat no team has achieved since the tournament's inception. This is also the biggest goal for Quang Hai and his teammates in this year's quest to conquer regional football.