AFF stays silent on Fifa–Asean Cup as 2026 Asean Championship begins in July

Mystery continues to surround the Fifa–Asean Cup as the Asean Football Federation (AFF) remains tight-lipped about the new tournament announced in October. Twentytwo13 had repeatedly reached out to AFF regarding the matter.

Some of the questions raised include:

Was the AFF consulted before the announcement of the Fifa–Asean Cup by Fifa president Gianni Infantino on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 26? Were AFF member associations briefed or involved in early planning discussions? Will the Asean Cup continue in its current form, or could the Fifa–Asean Cup eventually replace it?

Twentytwo13 was previously informed by insiders that there had been no communication between Fifa and AFF before the announcement.

One insider added: “The Asean Championship has generated tremendous TV coverage as we are available on free-to-air stations.

“Tournaments such as the World Cup and other continental competitions are on paid television. This is where our appeal lies with sponsors.

“We have built the Asean Championship’s following for the past 30 years. Why would anyone want to disrupt it?”

The main disadvantage of the Asean Championship is that it is held outside Fifa’s international calendar, so clubs are not obliged to release players. The new Fifa–Asean Cup would be held during the international window.

Fifa, in a statement, said it “will engage all football stakeholders, including the Asian Football Confederation, the Asean Football Federation and the Fifa member associations of the Asean member states, with the precise format of the tournament to be finalised in due course”.

The AFF’s inaugural tournament was the Tiger Cup in 1996. Since then, it has been renamed several times – the AFF Suzuki Cup (2008–2020), the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup in 2022 and the Asean Championship Mitsubishi Electric Cup last year.

It remains to be seen how the new tournament will impact the long-standing AFF competition, which is set to be renamed the Asean Hyundai Cup from 2026.

The group stage of the 2026 edition will begin on July 24 and run until Aug 8, with matches played in a single round-robin format throughout the region. The home-and-away knockout rounds will commence on Aug 15 and conclude on Aug 26.