KUALA LUMPUR – Football’s world governing body, FIFA, has announced a new regional tournament for all 11 Southeast Asian nations, marking a historic step for football development in the ASEAN bloc. The announcement was made in Kuala Lumpur by FIFA President Gianni Infantino following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on football development during the 47th ASEAN Summit.
The MOU was signed by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity as ASEAN 2025 chair, and ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn of Cambodia. The landmark agreement aims to enhance cooperation in football integrity, safety, and education throughout the region.
Infantino described the new competition, the FIFA ASEAN Cup, as “a real boost to football with the best players within FIFA’s international match calendar,” adding that it would “shine not just in the region, but also on the world stage.”He highlighted ASEAN’s massive fan base of nearly 700 million supporters, calling Southeast Asia “one of the world’s most dynamic football regions.” However, he did not disclose specific details about the tournament’s schedule or format.
Under the new MOU, FIFA and ASEAN will focus on three key pillars: strengthening integrity in football, ensuring safe match environments, and promoting education through the sport. Infantino noted the symbolic alignment between ASEAN’s 11 nations and a football team’s 11 players, saying the group is “now ready to win matches and make history together.”Southeast Asia already hosts the ASEAN Championship, recently rebranded as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup, which has been the region’s premier football event since 1996.
The 15th edition is slated for 2026 under its new title sponsorship with Hyundai. Thailand leads the championship’s history with seven titles, followed by Singapore with four. The introduction of the FIFA ASEAN Cup raises questions about how it will coexist with the existing ASEAN Championship, which operates outside FIFA’s official match windows, often leading to club-versus-country conflicts over player availability.
As FIFA and ASEAN embark on this new partnership, the football community is watching closely to see how the new tournament will reshape the region’s competitive landscape and global recognition.