When the 2026 World Cup ends the fun for a few days, fans in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, are almost immediately returned to their reality, when the ASEAN Cup 2026 is about to kick off. The shift from world-class great battles to regional tournaments certainly brings no small disappointment. People can talk about the organization method (like the 48-team World Cup taking place in 1 month and 8 days, the ASEAN Cup 10 teams also takes up to 1 month and 2 days), or professional quality...
However, all shoddy and harsh comparisons almost only bring negative emotions.
Southeast Asian football is indeed still struggling at the bottom of the world map, but that does not mean that monitoring or investing in it becomes wasteful. On the contrary, just being able to "look out to the big sea" of the World Cup is an opportunity to pick up valuable lessons. What do we see from Spain's championship or the rise of small teams? That is a lesson about system, discipline, team spirit and modern football thinking - things that can be completely learned and applied, regardless of the scale.
In the development journey of a football background, the results of each match or the cup in the regional tournament are sometimes not everything. What is more important is how strong the internal strength is on that path. Progress through each tournament, the professional attitude of the players and a fundamental and methodical development strategy are noteworthy points.
It is impossible to demand that the professional quality of the ASEAN Cup must be comparable to the World Cup, but there is every right to demand a decent and progressive attitude in football from those involved. Learn to accept reality to find positive bright spots, from both professionals and audiences.
Comparing to criticize will never turn the World Cup dream of Vietnamese or Southeast Asian football into reality. Comparing towards the goal of starting to repair, upgrade, change, and develop will be much more meaningful.
