The Vietnamese team entered the final with an impressive record of 6 unbeaten matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding only 1 goal. The two semi-final matches against Malaysia both ended with the same score of 2-0, showing the stability of coach Kim Sang-sik's team.
Meanwhile, the Thai team won 5 matches and lost 1 match on the journey to the final, scoring 14 goals and conceding 3 goals. The defeat against Singapore in the second leg semi-final did not affect the ticket to the next round when they created a great advantage from the first leg, but also made fans unhappy.
This is the fourth time Vietnam and Thailand have competed for the ASEAN Cup championship. If Thailand used to create a dominant position in direct confrontations, the balance is gradually changing.
In the final of the 2024 tournament, the Vietnamese team won both matches, with scores of 2-1 and 3-2 respectively to win the championship right on the away field.
Two years later, Vietnam still has many factors that participated in that journey, in which Xuan Son continues to be a prominent name in attack, alongside talented young striker Nguyen Dinh Bac.
At ASEAN Cup 2026, Thailand does not have the strongest force when some stars such as Suphanat, Supachok... are absent. However, they still possess many experienced players such as Sarach Yooyen, Manuel Tom Bihr or Teerasak Poeiphimai.
The first leg final between Thailand vs Vietnam will take place at 8:00 PM on August 22nd at Rajamangala Stadium.
