After a 3-0 victory over Indonesia at Pakansari Stadium (Bogor) on the evening of August 3, the Vietnamese team temporarily rose to the top of Group A of ASEAN Cup 2026 with 7 points after 3 matches. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team has the same points as Singapore but ranks above thanks to a superior goal difference (+10 compared to +3).
Indonesia is currently third with 6 points, while Cambodia and Timor-Leste no longer have a chance to compete for a place in the semi-finals.
In the last match taking place on August 7, the Vietnamese team will host Cambodia at home, and Indonesia will be guests against Singapore. These will be two matches that decide the two tickets to the next round of Group A.
In theory, the Vietnamese team still has the possibility of being eliminated if they lose very heavily to Cambodia, and Indonesia defeats Singapore. For example, if Singapore loses to Indonesia 0-1 and Vietnam loses to Cambodia with a difference of 9 goals, the Vietnamese team will be overtaken by Singapore in terms of goal difference to stop right from the group stage.
However, this possibility is almost impossible. Cambodia has never beaten Vietnam in 11 encounters and has never scored more than two goals against the Vietnamese team. In addition to the level difference, Cambodia has also been officially eliminated, so there is not much motivation to compete.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese team is holding a great advantage in the race to win the top spot in Group A. Just by defeating Cambodia, coach Kim Sang-sik's team is almost certain to hold the number one position thanks to their superior goal difference. Even if they only win by a minimum of 1-0, Singapore still has to beat Indonesia with a difference of at least 8 goals to be able to take the lead.
If they draw with Cambodia, the Vietnamese team can still hold the top spot in the group if Singapore and Indonesia draw.
Being first in Group A will bring many advantages to the Vietnamese team. The team will avoid facing the top team of Group B in the semi-finals - likely Thailand, and will also play the second leg of the semi-finals and finals at home if they go deep.
The Vietnamese team also faces the opportunity to close the group stage without conceding a goal, extending the achievement previously set in the 2000, 2018, 2020 and 2022 tournaments.
