Vietnam to open AFF ASEAN Cup against Timor-Leste in Thailand
VOV.VN - The Vietnam national men’s football team will face Timor-Leste at Chonburi Stadium in Thailand in their opening match of the AFF ASEAN Cup 2026 after the Football Federation of Timor-Leste (FFTL) confirmed the venue as its home ground for the tournament.
FFTL recently announced that Chonburi Stadium will host Timor-Leste's home matches throughout the AFF ASEAN Cup 2026. As a result, Vietnam, under head coach Kim Sang Sik, will meet Timor-Leste there in their Group Stage opener on July 24.
Timor-Leste has staged its home internationals in Thailand or Malaysia in recent years because its national stadium has yet to meet the tournament's hosting requirements. For the 2026 edition, FFTL has again selected Chonburi Stadium as its home venue.
Vietnam are currently training in the Republic of Korea (RoK) as they finalize their preparations for the tournament. After a practice match against Siheung FC, the team will face K League 2 side Yongin FC later on July 8 in another warm-up. The match will provide a sterner test, allowing the coaching staff to further assess the squad, review tactical options and fine-tune the lineup ahead of the tournament.
The team will then play a final practice match against K League 1 club Gangwon FC on July 13 before returning home.
After concluding their training camp in the RoK, the squad will continue their final preparations with an international friendly against Myanmar at Thai Nguyen Stadium on July 18 before opening the defence of their AFF ASEAN Cup title against Timor-Leste at Chonburi Stadium on July 24.
Vietnam’s opening opponents to be decided after AFF ASEAN Cup play-off
VOV.VN - Vietnam will begin their AFF ASEAN Cup 2026 title defence with an away Group A match on July 24, but their opening opponents will only be confirmed after the tournament’s play-off round.
