Timor Leste has 13 players who are currently playing abroad to face Vietnam in the ASEAN Cup 2026.

The Vietnam national team will officially begin their journey at the ASEAN Cup 2026 with a clash against Timor Leste at 8:30 PM on July 24 at a neutral venue in Chonburi, Thailand.

Although considered the underdogs, Timor Leste promises to bring many challenges as they possess what is regarded as the strongest squad in the country's football history for this regional tournament.

According to the recently announced 26-player squad, Timor Leste impresses with as many as 13 players who are playing abroad, accounting for exactly half of the squad. Notably, six of them are playing in Europe, reflecting the positive development trend of the country's youth football in recent years.

Most notable is midfielder Claudio Osorio, born in 2002, currently playing for Cobh Ramblers in the Irish Second Division. Osorio was born in Timor Leste but moved to Northern Ireland with his family at a young age. He joined Reading's academy in 2013 and was included in the first-team squad of the English club from 2020 to 2023, although he did not get an opportunity to play officially.

After his time in England, Osorio returned to Southeast Asia to play for Karketu Dili and Persipal Palu before going back to Europe in early 2026 to join Cobh Ramblers. Before representing Timor Leste since 2024, this midfielder had frequently been part of England's U15 and U16 teams. To date, he has made 16 appearances and scored 1 goal for the national team.

Besides Osorio, Timor Leste also has several notable players who are playing in Europe, such as forward Oatnasio da Silva of Portadown (Northern Ireland), João Rangel of Leiston (England), as well as Zion Cruz, Joao Varudo, and Eric Silva, who are playing in Portugal.

In addition, coach Ze Pedro has also called up some experienced international players, such as midfielder Tristan Arrarte of Western Sydney Wanderers (Australia), forward Joao Pedro currently playing for Kuching City (Malaysia), and Zenivio of Tanjong Pagar United (Singapore).

Speaking before the match, coach Kim Sang Sik affirmed that the Vietnam team's coaching staff has thoroughly studied the opponent. The South Korean strategist assessed that Timor Leste has many young, energetic players and will certainly cause many difficulties. However, he also said that the Vietnam team has analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent and prepared appropriate plans.

Coach Kim Sang Sik emphasized that the goal of the Vietnam team is to maximize Timor Leste's limitations to secure all three points on the opening day. A victory will not only give the "Golden Star Warriors" an advantage in the race to advance but also provide the necessary confidence for the journey ahead at the ASEAN Cup 2026.