Coach Anthony Hudson has announced the list of 23 Thai national team players, preparing for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, a tournament to be held from September 24 to October 5. In this gathering, the English strategist called up the strongest squad, gathering almost all the best players of Thai football.
According to the schedule, the Thai team will gather on September 21. They will play against Vietnam, Pakistan, and the Philippines in Group B of Division 1. If they top the group, the "War Elephants" will meet the top team in Group A (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh) to compete for the championship.
Talking to Thai media, coach Anthony Hudson clearly stated the team's 3 goals at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, including the Vietnamese team.
Building a team for the 2027 Asian Cup
I am very happy and excited to work with all the players in this squad. As I said before, the three training sessions have been different, the Asian Cup qualifiers, FIFA Day in June and ASEAN Cup each bring their own challenges.
From this training camp onwards, until the 2027 Asian Cup early next year, we hope to select the best players. Of course, we want to have the strongest possible squad, try to develop and build the team further until the Asian Cup," Hudson said.
At the 2027 Asian Cup, taking place from January 7 to February 5, 2027 in Saudi Arabia, Thailand is in Group F with Japan, Indonesia and Qatar.
Creating opportunities for players who can play in many positions
In addition to building the squad for the 2027 Asian Cup, Mr. Hudson also wants to use the FIFA ASEAN Cup to select the best players for each position, as well as create opportunities for them to take on many different roles.
He said: "At the left-back position, we not only have Nicholas Mickelson; we also have Chaiyapol Adthana. He is capable of playing both as a left-back and midfielder, and has performed very well at the ASEAN Cup.
He is really a young player who impressed me strongly. Last weekend, I watched Chaiyapol play as a left-back for Port FC and he performed very well. This means that Chaiyapol is a valuable asset in that position and can replace the team at this FIFA ASEAN Cup”.
Paying the debt to the Vietnamese national team
In the rankings, Thailand is ranked No. 1 in Southeast Asia. But in the ASEAN Cup 2026 final, they lost to Vietnam with a total score of 2-4 (losing 0-2 at home, drawing 2-2 away). Meeting at FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 when having the best force in hand, Mr. Hudson hopes to beat Vietnam with his team.
At the ASEAN Cup, the Vietnamese team fielded the strongest squad. They prepared more than two months before the tournament. Overall, I am satisfied with the performance of the players in both matches against the strongest squad of Vietnam in the ASEAN Cup final. Although disappointed with the result, if I can ignore that result, I am proud of all the players.
But we still have one more match before meeting the Vietnamese team. I think I and all the athletes are very excited and looking forward to facing them again.
The Vietnam vs Thailand match at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 will take place on September 29th in Indonesia.
