Identifying Vietnam's opponents in the AFF Cup 2026 today

On January 15th, the official group draw for the Southeast Asian Football Championship, Asean Cup 2026, will be held.

The group draw event for the Asean Cup 2026 (AFF Cup) is scheduled at 11:00 AM local time on January 15, 2026, at the RCTI+ Studio in Jakarta, Indonesia. This event marks the kickoff of the region’s biggest tournament and sets the stage for teams to map out their path toward claiming the Southeast Asian title this summer.

AFF Cup 2026 will feature 10 teams divided into 2 groups. Nine teams — Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — have secured direct entry to the group stage. The final spot will be decided through a two-legged playoff between Brunei and East Timor, taking place on June 2nd and June 9th.

The group stage will run from July 24 to August 8, following a single round-robin format with matches played home and away within the region. Afterwards, the knockout rounds (semi-finals and finals) will be conducted over two legs, scheduled from August 15 to August 26.

As the defending champions, Vietnam’s national team is very likely to be placed in the top seed group at the draw, alongside the runner-up Thailand. Meanwhile, Malaysia and Singapore will be in the second seed group; Indonesia and the Philippines in the third; Myanmar and Cambodia in the fourth. The last group will probably include Laos and the winner of the Brunei/East Timor playoff.

Being seeded in the top group holds great significance for Vietnam, not only in terms of prestige but also by providing a considerable tactical advantage. This helps the "Golden Star Warriors" avoid an early clash with their traditional rivals Thailand during the group stage.

With a squad expected to include many internationally experienced players and a strong desire to affirm their regional supremacy, Vietnam’s national team will enter the Asean Cup 2026 with the highest determination.