Football 

HÀ NỘI — Southeast Asian football is set for a major lift after FIFA and ASEAN confirmed the launch of the FIFA-ASEAN Cup, a new tournament designed to accelerate the sport’s growth across the region.

The world football governing body announced the competition following a renewed Memorandum of Understanding between FIFA and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to extend their partnership for another five years at the 47th ASEAN summit in Malaysia on October 26.

The new MoU, signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, builds on the initial agreement from November 2019, which led to initiatives including FIFA Football for Schools, joint public health campaign messaging and workshops on key education and development topics across Southeast Asia.

“The new agreement between FIFA and ASEAN will ensure that both organisations can help make a difference by using football as a vehicle that brings hope and joy to millions of children and young people across Southeast Asia,” Infantino was quoted as saying on FIFA’s website. “This partnership will help to drive positive football development, social progress and the promotion of healthy lifestyles all across the region.”

Following the renewed five-year MoU, the FIFA-ASEAN Cup will be organised for all 11 Southeast Asian countries, after Timor Leste officially became an ASEAN member on the same day.

“We are delighted to continue to show our support to the ASEAN community with the launch of the FIFA-ASEAN Cup,” the FIFA President said.

“This will be a great addition to the regional football calendar, it will be impactful not only in the region, but it will allow the best players in the ASEAN region to shine on the global stage. Through the FIFA-ASEAN Cup, we are uniting countries together, and this competition will be a huge success as it will help boost national team football in the ASEAN region and will support the development of our sport across all of Southeast Asia.”

FIFA will engage all football stakeholders, including the Asian Football Confederation, the ASEAN Football Federation and the FIFA Member Associations of ASEAN member states. The precise tournament format will be finalised later.

Infantino said the event will be scheduled within the FIFA International Match Calendar to maximise its impact in a region home to about 700 million people.

“We are launching this competition to give a real boost to football, featuring the best players within the framework of FIFA’s international match calendar, to make it truly impactful in the region and shine on the global stage,” he was quoted by Malaysian state media Bernama.

“Football unites the world and together with all 11 ASEAN countries, we are creating the FIFA-ASEAN Cup. It’s a tournament that will bring the region together and become a huge success.

“The first pillar, of course, is integrity in the game. The second is ensuring a safe and secure environment for matches. The third is education, promoting learning through football and fostering development for girls, boys, women and men across the region."

Southeast Asia already boasts the biennial ASEAN Championship organised by the ASEAN Football Federation, a tournament that has been dominated by Việt Nam and Thailand in recent years and enjoys strong regional prestige.

FIFA academy in Việt Nam

During the summit, Infantino met and talked with Việt Nam Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính.

Infantino praised and expressed his support for Việt Nam’s efforts in developing its national football, noting the country’s impressive progress and the players’ significant improvements in both physical strength and technical skills in recent years.

He said he hoped to establish a FIFA football academy in Việt Nam which would contribute to elevating the country’s football standards.

PM Chính thanked Infantino for his support for Việt Nam and expressed his hope that he would continue to assist Vietnamese football and help connect it with Italian football, one of the leading football nations in the world.

He also invited the FIFA President to visit Việt Nam in the near future and Infantino accepted the invitation. VNS