Black-market tickets for the second leg of the 2026 ASEAN Cup final between Vietnam and Thailand have surged far above their official prices. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Black-market ticket sellers were active outside the Vietnam Football Federation headquarters on Tuesday morning, approaching passersby and offering tickets for the Vietnam-Thailand final at sharply inflated prices.
One seller quoted VND10 million (US$380) for a pair of Category 1 tickets and VND8 million ($306) for a pair of Category 2 tickets.
Another seller offered Category 1 tickets for VND8 million ($306) per pair, saying the seats were less favorably located, while Category 2 tickets were priced at VND6 million ($230) per pair.
Prices for Category 3 and Category 4 tickets ranged from VND1.5 million ($57) to VND6 million ($230) per pair.
Some sellers claimed that invitation tickets, particularly those in prime positions in Stand A, were the hardest to obtain.
They told prospective buyers that such tickets had to be “reserved,” without explaining where or how the reservation could be made.
“Buy today. If you wait until tomorrow, the prices will go even higher,” one seller said in an apparent attempt to pressure potential buyers.
Official ticket prices for the Vietnam-Thailand match on August 26 are VND1.5 million ($57), VND1.2 million ($46), VND800,000 ($30.6) and VND500,000 ($19) per ticket, according to the Vietnam Football Federation.
Tickets went on sale online on August 20 and sold out within a few hours.
Fans have since had little opportunity to buy tickets at face value, leaving the black market as one of the few remaining options for those determined to attend the match.
Demand has surged following Vietnam’s 2-0 victory over Thailand in the first leg in Bangkok, which put the Vietnamese team in a strong position to claim the title on home soil.
The second leg of the ASEAN Cup final between Vietnam and Thailand will kick off at 8:00 pm on August 26 at My Dinh Stadium, which has a capacity of 40,000.
The 2026 ASEAN Championship, running from July 24 to August 26, features 10 teams split into two groups.
Vietnam were drawn in Group A with Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia and Timor-Leste, while Group B comprised Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos.
After nearly a month of competition, Vietnam and Thailand advanced to the two-legged final.
Vietnam took a major step toward retaining their title with a 2-0 win over hosts Thailand in the first leg at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday, with Hai Long opening the scoring in the 62nd minute before Quang Hai doubled the lead six minutes later.
Thailand now need a three-goal victory in Hanoi to win the title outright. A 2-0 victory would force extra time.
The task is particularly difficult given that Thailand have never won an away leg in an ASEAN Cup final since 2007.
The tournament’s history also favors Vietnam: no team has previously lost the first leg of an ASEAN Cup final by two goals and gone on to win the title.
Vietnam, meanwhile, will retain the trophy if they draw or lose by one goal.
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