The FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 officially kicks off today, marking the first time this Southeast Asian championship is organized by FIFA. The tournament will start with two matches in the Second Division held in Hong Kong on September 24. At Mong Kok Stadium, Laos will take on Brunei in Group A at 4 PM local time, followed by Myanmar facing Timor Leste in Group B three hours later.

After a disappointing exit in the group stage of the ASEAN Cup 2026, Laos' coach Vladica Grujic has made significant changes to the team, calling up 12 players who have never represented the national team before, with only five players over the age of 25. Laos sees a promising chance for victory, especially since Brunei is considered the weakest team in Southeast Asia, having won only one of its last nine official matches.

Brunei's squad, coached by Ali Mustafa, mainly consists of players from DPMM, a club competing in the Malaysian league. Meanwhile, Norwegian coach Jon Andersen returns to Hong Kong, where he previously managed the national team from 2021 to 2024, leading Myanmar in their quest for the Second Division title. Myanmar is regarded as a stronger team compared to Timor Leste, who has lost all four of their matches, conceding 15 goals without scoring any at the ASEAN Cup 2026.

Despite their struggles, Timor Leste's coach, Ze Pedro, believes they can surprise opponents, with players competing in seven different countries, including midfielder Claudio Osorio, who plays for O Elvas in Portugal's third division.

The other teams in the Second Division are the host nation Hong Kong (Group A) and Cambodia (Group B), who will have the advantage of observing their opponents' play before their matches on September 27. The final round of the Second Division will take place on September 30 to determine the two group winners who will compete in the finals on October 3.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup was established following a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the ASEAN Council and FIFA in Malaysia in October 2025 during the 47th ASEAN Summit. The tournament is being held during an extended FIFA Days period, which will now combine national team gatherings in September and October into a three-week phase from September 21 to October 6.

The Vietnam national team arrived in Indonesia on September 23, 2026, to participate in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. However, the organization of the tournament has faced challenges, as FIFA President Gianni Infantino had envisioned. Initially, three invited teams—India, China, and Hong Kong—along with 11 Southeast Asian teams were supposed to participate, but both China and India withdrew to pursue more competitive plans. Bangladesh and Pakistan were eventually selected as replacements.

Moreover, the sale of broadcasting rights for FIFA has not gone smoothly, with nine out of the 14 participating countries yet to announce their broadcasting partners. Nevertheless, the tournament remains competitive as the teams gather their best players during FIFA Days.

The ASEAN Cup 2026 has sparked debates about the quality of the teams, and the FIFA ASEAN Cup is expected to showcase which team currently stands as the number one in Southeast Asia.

In the First Division, Group A will kick off tomorrow, September 25, featuring host Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Singapore. Group B will start on September 26, including Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines. The teams will compete in a round-robin format, earning points. The top team from each group will meet in the finals, while the second-placed teams will compete for third place. The group stage runs from September 24 to October 2, with the finals and third-place match for the First Division set for October 5, and the Second Division finals on October 2.

The First Division matches will take place in Indonesia at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (77,193 seats) and Si Jalak Harupat Stadium (27,000 seats), while the Second Division will be held in Hong Kong at Kai Tak Stadium (50,000 seats) and Mong Kok Stadium (6,664 seats).