Both Nam Dinh FC and Thanh Hoa FC won the V.League and National Cup respectively last season, while Hanoi Police FC failed to secure a special entry spot.

The ASEAN Club Championship, the region's premier club competition organised by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), will feature 14 top clubs from across Southeast Asia competing in 54 matches. The tournament includes a qualifying playoff, group stage, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and two-legged finals.

A total of 10 teams, two each from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as one from Cambodia, will qualify directly for the finals. BuriramUnited, as reigning champions, receive an automatic spot.

Four teams from the Philippines, Myanmar, Laos, and Brunei will compete in playoffs for the remaining two group-stage spots, starting on August 8, 2026.

The 14 qualified teams will then be drawn into two groups to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams from each group advance to two-legged semi-finals. 

The final match will also be played over two legs, scheduled for May 20 and May 27, 2026 .

Vietnam secures two slots in AFC Champions League Two

VOV.VN - The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed that Vietnam will receive one direct slot and one playoff berth in the AFC Champions League Two for the 2026–2027 season, based on the V.League 1’s current ranking.