The presence of the leaders of FIFA in the most important match of Southeast Asian football is a noteworthy mark, and also shows the increasing attraction of regional football on the world football map.
In recent years, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has directly attended important football events in Southeast Asia many times. In December 2021, he visited Singapore to attend the opening ceremony of the AFF Cup, and highly appreciated the efforts to develop football in the region.
In January 2023, Mr. Infantino continued to attend the second leg final of the 2022 AFF Cup between Thailand and Vietnam at Thammasat Stadium. The FIFA President at that time, along with leaders of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the Football Association of Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Football (AFF), watched the match and attended the medal awarding ceremony.
Mr. Gianni Infantino's return to watch a final match between Vietnam and Thailand continues to show FIFA's interest in Southeast Asian football. This is also an opportunity for Vietnamese football to introduce its image, organizational capacity and progress in the process of investing in national teams, youth training, facilities and international events.
For the Vietnamese team, the second leg final at My Dinh Stadium is of special significance. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team is facing the opportunity to defend the ASEAN Cup championship after gaining a great advantage in the first leg.
At Rajamangala Stadium, Vietnam defeated Thailand with a score of 2-0 thanks to goals from Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Quang Hai. This result gives the team an advantage before the decisive match at home.
The second leg final of ASEAN Cup 2026 between Vietnam and Thailand takes place at 8:00 PM on August 26th at My Dinh National Stadium. This is expected to be a match that attracts great attention from fans, in the context that Vietnam is aiming to successfully defend the championship.
