ASEAN Championship

%5B%5BWikipedia%3ATemplates+for+discussion%2FLog%2F2025+December+5%23Template%3ASeason+sidebar%5D%5D{{{CRITERION}}} The ASEAN Championship is a biennial international men's association football competition organised by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) for national teams in Southeast Asia. First held in 1996, it is the principal senior men's national-team competition organised by the AFF and forms part of a wider programme of regional competitions that includes the ASEAN Club Championship, ASEAN Women's Championship and ASEAN U-23 Championship. Formerly known as the AFF Championship or AFF Cup, the tournament is currently marketed as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup under a title-sponsorship agreement. The championship follows a nominal sequence of even-numbered editions that is distinct from the calendar year in which an edition is completed; several finals have been played in the year after their nominal designation, most notably the delayed 2006 edition, which was staged in January–February 2007. Since the 2018 edition, the final tournament has generally comprised ten teams in two groups of five, each playing two home and two away group matches, with the top two in each group advancing to two-legged semi-finals and a two-legged final. Four national teams had won the championship through 2026. Thailand is the most successful with seven titles, followed by Singapore, Vietnam with four and Malaysia with one. Indonesia has reached six finals without winning the competition. Vietnam entered the 2026 tournament as defending champion after defeating Thailand 5–3 on aggregate in the 2024 ASEAN Championship final. The ASEAN Championship is recognised as an 'A' international tournament by FIFA with FIFA ranking points being awarded since 1996. The competition developed from a two-week, centrally hosted tournament into a home-and-away event played across the region. It has become a prominent setting for Southeast Asian football rivalries, including the Malaysia–Singapore rivalry and contests involving Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Independent reporting has described the tournament as both an important source...