Vietnam, Thailand set record with fourth ASEAN Cup final showdown

Vietnam booked their place in the final by beating Malaysia 2-0 at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on Wednesday, completing a 4-0 aggregate victory.

Thailand edged Singapore 4-3 on aggregate to set up another two-legged final against Vietnam.

The upcoming final will mark the fourth time Vietnam and Thailand have faced each other for the ASEAN Cup title, matching the Thais' four final meetings with Indonesia.

Their first final encounter came in 2008. Vietnam won the first leg 2-1 at Rajamangala Stadium before drawing 1-1 at My Dinh to claim their first ASEAN Cup.

The teams met again in the 2022 final. Vietnam drew 2-2 at home before losing 1-0 at Thammasat Stadium, allowing Thailand to win the title.

Two years later, they faced each other again in the 2024 final. Vietnam won the first leg 2-1 before securing a 3-2 victory at Rajamangala Stadium to lift the trophy.

Their run of three consecutive final meetings has established Vietnam and Thailand as one of the region’s defining rivalries. 

Thailand remain the most successful team in ASEAN Cup history with seven titles, while Vietnam have won the competition three times.

Kim wants Xuan Son to score 3 goals in final

Vietnam coach Kim Sang Sik has set a target for striker Nguyen Xuan Son ahead of the two-legged final against Thailand, hoping the forward can score three goals across the two matches.

Kim appeared at the press conference alongside Xuan Son following Vietnam’s 2-0 victory over Malaysia in the second leg of the 2026 ASEAN Cup semifinal, expressing his delight at reaching another finale with the national team.

Kim opened the press conference by thanking his players for the victory and the fans who came to support Vietnam.

“Compared with the first leg, the players performed better in the second leg and addressed the shortcomings we had,” Kim said.

With only one day available for rest and training, Kim made several changes to manage the players’ fitness.

“I feel very honored and happy to reach another final with Vietnam against Thailand,” he said.

Kim added that he had watched Thailand’s semifinal, saying the immediate priority was recovery, with only two days between the semifinal second leg and the final first leg.

Xuan Son, meanwhile, said he had no particular message for Thailand ahead of the final, preferring to focus on his performance for Vietnam.

“I’m here to focus on contributing to the national team and preparing as well as possible for the match,” he said.

Kim also explained why forward Nguyen Dinh Bac played the full 90 minutes on his 22nd birthday. The coach said the decision was based on the player’s fitness and form rather than his birthday.

“Dinh Bac is young, energetic, and in good form. It’s not just today — he will play in the next two matches as well,” Kim said.

Asked about the 2026 ASEAN Cup scoring race, Kim joked that he expected Xuan Son to have scored more than his current five goals.

“I hope he scores three goals in the next two final matches,” Kim said.

Kim praised both Xuan Son and Dinh Bac but stressed that the entire squad had contributed to Vietnam’s run to the final.

“I hope that healthy competition will help the whole team defend the title,” he said.

Xuan Son declined to discuss Thailand’s defensive tactics in detail, saying he would follow Kim’s instructions.

“The match against Thailand will be a dream final,” he said. “I’m just focusing on recovering physically with such a short amount of time. Let’s see what happens.”

Kim also encouraged Dinh Bac to aim for a career in Asia or Europe, saying the young forward needed to work harder when defending but he already had the attacking ability to compete at that level.

Xuan Son changes game against Malaysia

Vietnam entered the second leg of their semifinal at My Dinh with confidence, backed by a passionate home crowd.

They dominated the opening 45 minutes and created several chances but failed to convert them, with Malaysia goalkeeper Azri making a number of important saves.

Kim fielded Xuan Son after half-time, and the striker quickly changed the course of the match.

He scored in the 62nd and 89th minutes to give Vietnam a convincing 2-0 victory and a 4-0 aggregate win.

The results sent Vietnam into the finale, where they face archrivals Thailand in another two-legged battle for the ASEAN Cup title.