The ASEAN Cup homepage highly rates the Vietnam national team ahead of their title defense campaign.

According to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Jakarta, the ASEAN Cup homepage quoted captain Nguyen Quang Hai as saying that the whole team has undergone thorough preparation over the past weeks, covering physical fitness, tactics, and professional readiness. The 1997-born midfielder noted that the atmosphere in the team is very positive, with determination and focus maintained throughout training sessions, laying the foundation for the team to enter the tournament with the highest confidence.

Vietnam will kick off their title defense campaign against Timor-Leste on July 24 at Chonburi Stadium (Thailand). This is the first match of Group A, where coach Kim Sang Sik's team, along with Timor-Leste, Singapore, Cambodia, and Indonesia, will compete for two spots in the semifinals.

According to the tournament's homepage, Group A promises to be highly competitive, featuring defending champion Vietnam, four-time champion Singapore, six-time runner-up Indonesia, along with Cambodia and Timor-Leste.

In the other opening match, Singapore will visit Cambodia. Coach Gavin Lee said the objective of the "Lion City" team is to focus fully on each match rather than thinking too far ahead, while hoping to continue the momentum of progress after qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup.

Meanwhile, Group B will see the most successful team in tournament history, Thailand, begin their quest for an eighth title by facing host Laos. Malaysia will also travel to Myanmar on their opening day.

Malaysia coach Tan Cheng Hoe believes that Thailand remains the strongest candidate in the group, while the other teams all have opportunities to compete for a spot in the next round. The coach emphasized that the most important thing for Malaysia now is to build team cohesion before thinking about further goals.

Indonesia and the Philippines have a bye in the first matchday. Indonesia will play their first match on July 27 against Cambodia, while the Philippines begin their Group B campaign on July 28.

According to the competition format, the top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals. The semifinals will be played over two legs on August 15, 16, 18, and 19, before the two-legged final on August 23 and 26.

As the defending champion with a squad considered deeper than the title-winning campaign in 2024, the Vietnam national team is in a prime position to make history if they successfully defend the 2026 ASEAN Cup title.