Everything you need before a ball is kicked: the politics, the money, the squad rows — and a complete guide to all eight Premier Division squads, player by player.
We're sending this one out a day earlier than usual, to get ahead of Thursday's kick-off — the Challenge Division starts today, and the Premier Division opens with Indonesia against Singapore in Jakarta on Friday. Thailand wait until Saturday for their own opener, but the politics, the money and the squad news are worth having in hand before anyone kicks a ball. So: everything you need, in one go.
The elephant in the tournament: this whole thing exists because Gianni Infantino needs it to
Start with the uncomfortable version, because it's the honest one. FIFA's own council didn't approve this tournament until March this year, and a working agreement with the ASEAN Football Federation — the body that already runs the region's actual championship — wasn't reached until April, months after Infantino had gone public with the idea at a political summit in Malaysia. Nobody at the AFF or the Asian Football Confederation was consulted before the announcement. One AFC insider put it plainly to Inside World Football: why is FIFA "organising competitions in regions" at all, when its stated job is running World Cups and handing out development grants?
The context that makes this more than an org-chart squabble: Infantino is fighting to stay FIFA president past the point his own statutes were written to stop him. Article 33 caps a president at three terms; he's been in the job since 2016 and won re-election twice since. FIFA's official position — confirmed again this month — is that his first, unelected 2016-19 stretch, inherited when Sepp Blatter quit mid-scandal, "doesn't count as a term of office," which conveniently leaves him free to stand for what FIFA calls his second full term at the 2027 Congress in Morocco. Rights groups are actively lobbying to have that bid blocked. Critics, UEFA among them, say he has spent a reform-platform presidency doing the opposite: dismantling internal checks, centralising power, fast-tracking Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup, handing Donald Trump a "peace prize," and now — this is the part that lands closest to home — building brand new, FIFA-owned regional competitions that answer to him personally rather than to the confederations that used to own that turf. The ASEAN Cup isn't proof of anything on its own. It fits a pattern that increasingly doesn't need much more proof.
The one thing that pattern buys the players: because this sits inside an official FIFA international window, clubs are legally obliged to release them for it, in a way they never had to be for the AFF's own Championship. A tournament built partly to shore up one man's grip on FIFA still delivers first-team footballers. Funny old game.
And the prize money's already been cut
Reports emerged this week — not yet an official FIFA line, but consistent across several outlets — that the Premier Division winner's cheque has been quietly trimmed from the promised US$1m to US$650,000, a 35% haircut before a ball's been kicked. The reason is the dullest possible one: broadcast sales have gone badly. FIFA reportedly wanted US$3m for the TV rights, cut that ask to US$2m to get anyone to bite, and as of this week only three countries had actually signed. A tournament FIFA built to project regional muscle is struggling to get anyone to pay to watch it. The participation fee — a flat US$125,000 per team just for showing up — is reportedly untouched, so nobody goes home with nothing. But the marquee number just got smaller, and that's a real, slightly embarrassing data point for a competition FIFA is still trying to sell as a going concern.
Thailand: the two absences that actually matter, and the one everyone's shouting about for the wrong reason
Head coach Anthony Hudson has reportedly just been handed a new contract through 2029 — the FA has yet to confirm it formally — a genuine surprise to a fanbase that spent August calling for his head. Pundit B.Bang Pakong's verdict after the ASEAN Championship final defeat to Vietnam was blunt: "Thailand need a new coach," he said, adding that if there wasn't a credible Thai alternative, the federation shouldn't have gone foreign again either. There's a real, vocal constituency that wants Kiatisak Senamuang back, and it hasn't gone away just because Hudson's deal has been extended. The Thai FA has essentially bet the other way: that continuity through the 2027 Asian Cup cycle matters more than appeasing a section of the fanbase that thinks the football itself has gone dour.
Three absences are genuinely load-bearing, and they're not all the same kind of story. Theerathon Bunmathan is out by mutual agreement between Hudson, his club and the player himself — Hudson's framing is that "with his current age and physical condition, Theerathon needs rest," with the King's Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup the actual priorities. That's squad management, not a snub. Ben Davis is a genuinely harder one to explain away: the Thailand international who gave up his Singaporean citizenship in 2019 rather than complete national service there, has been capped by Thailand since 2023, and remains a wanted NS defaulter back in Singapore to this day — that's about as loaded a backstory as a squad omission gets in this region, and Hudson hasn't given a clean reason for leaving him out beyond speaking well of him in general terms. Weerathep Pomphan's is the other one generating real noise on Thai social media, with the same explanation attached — Hudson says both were called for August's ASEAN Championship and didn't come, and he wants "continuity and consistency" from that camp. Separate from all three: Suphanat Mueanta is out through a hamstring injury — picked up since his move from Buriram United to Japan's Omiya Ardija in June — that will keep him sidelined for one to two months and rules him out of this tournament completely — a real, painful loss of Thailand's most dangerous attacking outlet, not a selection call at all.
Group B is the one nobody wanted — and who actually wins the whole thing?
Thailand open against Pakistan in Bandung on Saturday, then Vietnam three days later, then the Philippines to close it out — genuinely the strongest group in either division. Nobody's posted a proper outright betting market yet for a tournament this new, so treat the following as informed regional opinion rather than bookmakers' prices. Vietnam, the reigning ASEAN champions and still the form side of the region under Kim Sang-sik, are the traditional pick — winners of the region's other tournament as recently as August, and the side most neutrals still default to. But it isn't unanimous: Vietnamese analyst Quang Huy has gone the other way and named hosts Indonesia the favourites, pointing to their squad's market value (the highest of any ASEAN side), a World Cup qualifying campaign that went further than any other team in the region, and home advantage throughout the Premier Division. Indonesia's own case rests heavily on a squad John Herdman has stacked with European-based and naturalised talent — Ole Romeny plays his club football in the Netherlands and Ivar Jenner came through Utrecht. Thailand come third in most people's estimation, still comfortably the strongest pure domestic league in the region even with Suphanat missing. Singapore get mentioned in the same breath more for storyline than form — see below.
The complete guide: all eight Premier Division squads
Pick a team. Each profile has the coach, the probable XI, the star player, the one to watch, how they play, an honest verdict and every one of the 23 players — club, age, caps, goals and what to know about them. Caps and goals are as reported before the tournament; club names follow our house style.
Team selector
Indonesia
Hosts, favourites in the group, and a coach whose contract is being tied to a trophy
Prospects
On paper Indonesia should win Group A. This is a FIFA-window tournament, so for the first time under Herdman they field the full European contingent at home in front of 70,000 at the Gelora Bung Karno, against a Singapore side they failed to beat with a weaker XI in August, a Malaysia still rebuilding after the naturalisation scandal, and a Bangladesh ranked 181st. The honest benchmark is Vietnam's 3-0 in Pakansari two months ago: Herdman's Indonesia beats the teams it should and has yet to beat a good one. No Jay Idzes, two barely-capped strikers pushing to start, full-backs arriving late from Europe and a coach whose extension Erick Thohir has publicly tied to silverware make this a high-stakes fortnight rather than a procession. Favourites for the group; second favourites for the trophy.
Six goals in ten caps, a debut goal against Australia, the winners against Bahrain and China in World Cup qualifying, and goals against St Kitts, Oman and Mozambique this year. On loan at Fortuna Sittard from Oxford United, he is the one genuinely proven international finisher in the group.
Nineteen, Melbourne-born to an Indonesian mother, naturalised on 13 July and a hat-trick on debut against Cambodia a fortnight later. Still a college player at Georgetown and a Colorado Rapids draft pick, he is raw, direct and — with Vickery also pushing — gives Herdman the novel problem of two Australian-raised forwards competing with Romeny.
The coach — John Herdman
Appointed on 3 January 2026 after Patrick Kluivert's exit, Herdman is the man who took Canada from 72nd in the world to a World Cup, and the first coach to take both a women's and a men's side to one. He says he rang more than 60 players before accepting the job. His record so far is P8 W5 D1 L2 — comfortable wins over Oman, Mozambique, Cambodia and Timor-Leste, a 3-0 hiding by Vietnam and a draw in Singapore that ended the ASEAN Championship at the group stage, with fans confronting the squad at Jalan Besar afterwards. He calls pressure "a blessing". He is about to find out.
How they play
Herdman has imported the 3-4-2-1 he used with Canada in Qatar: three centre-backs, wing-backs as "the engine of the attack" (Diks right, Verdonk or James left), a double pivot of Pelupessy with Jenner or Haye, and two inside-forwards behind Romeny. The stated principles are quick transitions and a high press — a deliberate break from Indonesia's traditionally reactive game. Vietnam picked the press apart inside 14 minutes. Local media are split on whether he reverts to a back four here; Herdman's hint that Luke Vickery has "a good chance to start" suggests two strikers.
The squad — all 23
Fixtures — all times Bangkok / Jakarta
Last five
Malaysia
A federation rebuilt after a forgery scandal, a caretaker coach, and — once again — a squad leaning on foreign-born players
Prospects
On paper this is comfortably the strongest Malaysian squad of 2026 — Cools, Arif Aiman, Faisal Halim, Wilkin and the freshly-cleared Johor imports are a cut above the B-team that lost twice to Vietnam in August — and Bangladesh should be beaten. But only the group winner reaches the final, Indonesia at home are clear favourites and Singapore, Asian Cup-bound, are a live threat. Second place and the bronze match is the realistic outcome; anything more needs Bergson and Hidalgo to click immediately under a coach who has had them for barely a week.
Malaysia's best home-grown player in a generation: 24, 40 caps, eight goals, JDT's serial Player of the Year and the one Malaysian attacker capable of beating a man in a phone box. Captain Dion Cools, a J1 League regular at Cerezo Osaka, is the other genuine class act.
Zero caps at 35, but 198 goals in 193 games for JDT. Cleared by FIFA in September on five-year residency, he is the first proper No.9 Malaysia have fielded since the scandal removed Holgado and Figueiredo. If he settles, Malaysia have the group's most reliable finisher.
The coach — Tan Cheng Hoe (interim)
Tan Cheng Hoe, 58, was appointed interim head coach on 25 June 2026 while doubling as FAM's technical director, after Peter Cklamovski left "by mutual consent" in a wholesale clear-out that also removed the chief executive — Cklamovski was unveiled at Salford City the same day. Tan's first spell (2017–22) produced the 2018 AFF final and a 20-4-16 record; he was assistant when Malaysia won the 2010 title. His interim record with a B-squad in August was W3 L3, the three defeats all 0-2 to Thailand and Vietnam. His own line on the group: "I see Indonesia as the favourites."
How they play
Expect Tan's habitual 4-2-3-1 built around a Johor Darul Ta'zim spine — nine of the 23 play there — with a second Selangor block. The threat is on the flanks: Arif Aiman cutting in from the right, Faisal Halim from the left, Hidalgo's pace and crossing, Wilkin arriving late from midfield and Bergson finishing in the box. The weaknesses are age (Corbin-Ong 35, Bergson 35, Josué 37) and the absence of a possession-dominant midfielder since Agüero's injury. Against Indonesia and Singapore expect a deep block and counters through Arif Aiman.
The squad — all 23
Fixtures — all times Bangkok / Jakarta
Last five
Singapore
Momentum, a local coach with his job secured, an Asian Cup place banked — and one striker carrying the lot
Prospects
Singapore arrive with genuine momentum — unbeaten through the July group, a win in Bangkok, the coach's job secured, Asian Cup qualification banked — but this format is brutal: only the group winner reaches the final. Indonesia at a full Gelora Bung Karno on day two, then Malaysia in Bandung, means Singapore probably need something from Jakarta to top the group. Without Ikhsan and Irfan Fandi the attack rests heavily on Ilhan; Bangladesh should be beaten. Realistic ceiling: second in the group and the bronze match. An upset of Indonesia would be the moment Lee's "glimpses" became something concrete.
Not Ikhsan, who is unavailable, but his younger brother: four goals in six games in July and August — the 90+11' winner in Phnom Penh, a header against Timor-Leste, the equaliser against Indonesia and the consolation against Thailand — then two on his Lion City Sailors debut after returning from Pathum United.
Thirty-one caps at 26, the winger has just joined Lion City Sailors from Tampines Rovers on a two-year deal and is a rare source of continuity in a squad thinned by withdrawals. Harhys Stewart, whose goal won the second leg in Bangkok, is the stronger case on recent evidence; Faris Ramli, 92 caps and back from a knee injury, is the sentimental one.
The coach — Gavin Lee
Gavin Lee is 36, never played professionally, took the MRT to his own unveiling with his suit in a garment bag, and is the first local coach of Singapore since 2016. Six years at Tampines Rovers (a Singapore Cup, an AFC Champions League group stage) preceded a spell on Tsutomu Ogura's staff; he took over as interim in June 2025 and was made permanent on 28 November after the 2-1 win over Hong Kong sealed Singapore's first Asian Cup qualification through a full campaign. His mantra is "own the discomfort". Record: roughly W8 D4 L3, including August's 4-3 aggregate semi-final defeat to Thailand.
How they play
A 4-2-3-1 with Kyoga Nakamura and Harhys Stewart as the double pivot and Song Ui-young behind Ilhan Fandi. Lee wants the ball won back quickly and moved through the first line of pressure; chasing games, Singapore flood the box and rely on wide deliveries — three of six goals in July and August came after the 65th minute, most of them from Nur Adam or Nakamura crosses to Ilhan's head. The low block shut out Vietnam. The weakness was Thailand's transitions (0-2 down after 26 minutes at Jalan Besar) and a bench that thins quickly once the absentees are stripped out.
The squad — all 23
Fixtures — all times Bangkok / Jakarta
Last five
Bangladesh
The lowest-ranked side in the division, an ex-USA captain in charge for one match, and a free pre-season for November
Prospects
Bangladesh are the weakest team in the division on ranking, preparation and resources, and they lost their best defender, Topu Barman, to a calf tear before a ball was kicked. Hamza Choudhury lifts the midfield to a level the region will respect, but there is no proven goalscorer — the forwards have 13 international goals between them and Morsalin, who owns seven, is doubtful. A point against Singapore is achievable; anything against Indonesia would be an upset. Third in Group A with a draw and a credible performance is the realistic ceiling, and the tournament matters to them more as a rehearsal for November's SAFF Championship in Dhaka than as an end in itself.
The one player with Premier League pedigree — 123 Leicester appearances before a permanent move to Sheffield United on 31 August — and four goals in ten caps since his 2025 debut. Plays as a screening midfielder or right-back; his ball-winning sets the ceiling of the team. "We're not here to fear anyone," he said this week.
Nineteen, ex-Chelsea and Fulham academy, on loan at Boreham Wood from Fulham, uncapped — and, because the squad is so short of goals, being considered as a striker. Shekh Morsalin (seven goals in 24 caps) is the alternative if his calf scan clears him.
The coach — Thomas Dooley
Thomas Dooley captained the USA at the 1998 World Cup, won the Bundesliga with Kaiserslautern, took the Philippines to their first Asian Cup and won a V.League title as Viettel's sporting director. Appointed on 22 May 2026 after Javier Cabrera's four-year tenure ended, his Bangladesh record is P1 W1 — a 2-1 win in San Marino, the country's first win in Europe. He is blunt ("we cannot give you a drink and suddenly you understand the game"), refused to pick Cuba Mitchell without seeing him in a trial, and has said publicly that Bhutan and Sri Lanka in November are the must-wins, not this.
How they play
Under Cabrera Bangladesh were a compact, counter-attacking side — hard to beat, rarely scoring (30 goals in 39 games). Dooley has had one match and four weeks with the domestic core; the diaspora trio trained with the group for the first time on 22 September. Expect a back four in front of Mitul Marma, Hamza and Shamit Shome as a double pivot, Rakib wide and an improvised striker — Farhaan Ali Wahid, a winger, may be tried up front. Losing Topu Barman removes the aerial anchor and both goals from the San Marino game.
The squad — all 23
Fixtures — all times Bangkok / Jakarta
Last five
Thailand
The strongest group Hudson has had, a FIFA window that finally frees his J.League players — and a coach who has never beaten Vietnam
Prospects
On paper this is the strongest Thailand group Hudson has had, and the FIFA window finally gives him Supachok, Mickelson and Chanathip together. Pakistan and the Philippines should be beaten, so the tournament reduces to 29 September against Vietnam — a side that has beaten Thailand in two straight finals and now has a settled naturalised spine. Only the group winner reaches the final, so a draw in Bandung probably leaves Thailand needing a goal-difference race. The doubts are real: rustiness (Bihr and Anan have no league minutes this season), no Theerathon set-piece delivery, no Suphanat, an ageing core (Sarach, Peeradol, Nattapong and Kampol are all 34) and a coach who has never beaten Vietnam. Verdict: favourites to top the group with Vietnam by a coin-toss; a final against Indonesia in Jakarta is plausible but not the expectation; a third successive defeat to Vietnam would put the reported 2029 extension under immediate strain.
Thailand's best technical attacker of his generation and their only J1 regular in the squad: 49 caps, 11 goals, and absent from the August run because Consadole Sapporo would not release him. He is exactly the type of player this competition was designed to make available. Chanathip, 77 caps and 15 goals, remains the totem.
Twenty-three, on loan at Port from Buriram United, eight goals in 25 caps and a starter in both legs of the August final. Nicknamed "Jude Bellingsek" and, by Siam Sport's reckoning, Hudson's new favourite. Teerasak Poeiphimai — two goals in the semi-final at Singapore, 41 in 101 for Port — is the other domestic-momentum pick.
The coach — Anthony Hudson
Son of the former Chelsea midfielder Alan Hudson, a former New Zealand, Colorado Rapids and interim USA head coach, and briefly Pathum United's manager, Anthony Hudson was appointed on 22 October 2025, the day after Masatada Ishii was sacked. "At this crucial time, we need someone who understands Thai football thoroughly," said Madam Pang. His record is P13 W8 D3 L2: Asian Cup qualification sealed with the 2-1 over Turkmenistan, then the August run to the ASEAN Championship final. Vietnam are the only side he has failed to beat. The reported extension to 2029 has not been formally announced by the FA; asked about it, Hudson said "the next two games always decide a coach's future". Peter Taylor, once England's caretaker, joined his staff on 22 September.
How they play
Full-strength Thailand play a 4-2-3-1: Sarach as the pivot, Chanathip as the No.10, Supachok on the left, Seksan or Anan on the right, Suphanan and Mickelson — a right-footer inverted at left-back on Hudson's say-so — providing the width. The hallmarks are a compact mid-block, quick wide transitions and a heavy reliance on set pieces: both goals against Turkmenistan came from Theerathon corners, and his absence removes the main delivery source. Hudson's own diagnosis after the August final was fitness and sharpness in the front three and inexperience closing games out — Thailand conceded two own goals in Hanoi. The squad had four days between first training and kick-off.
The squad — all 23
Fixtures — all times Bangkok / Jakarta
Last five
Vietnam
Reigning double champions with the region's best attack — and a rebuilt defence that has lost nearly all its experience
Prospects
Vietnam arrive as reigning double regional champions and, on paper, Group B favourites alongside Thailand — both should beat the Philippines and Pakistan. But this is a noticeably weaker squad than the one that won in August: no Quang Hải, no Thành Chung, no Văn Hậu, no Văn Vĩ, no Duy Mạnh, and Hoàng Đức not fully fit. The attack — Son, Đình Bắc, Hoàng Hên, Hai Long — is the best in South-east Asia; the back three is a patchwork of a 23-year-old and two debutants competing for one shirt. Expect them to get out of the group; 29 September against Thailand is a rematch of the final with Thailand keen for revenge, and the rebuilt defence will be tested. The title is possible if Son stays fit and the new defence holds.
Sixteen goals in 17 caps and joint Golden Boot in August despite returning from the leg broken against Thailand in the 2024 final. The Brazilian-born striker scored 23 minutes into his first V.League game of the season. A minor ankle knock on 11 September has cleared; he is expected to be available.
Twenty-two, Best Player and joint top scorer of the ASEAN Championship, eight goals in 22 caps from the left of the front three. The wildcard is Williams Minh Hoàng, a 19-year-old, 1.90m English-born forward on his first call-up.
The coach — Kim Sang-sik
Kim Sang-sik, 59 caps for South Korea, won the K League with Jeonbuk as a player, a coach and a manager. Appointed in May 2024, he has since won the ASEAN Championship twice (both finals against Thailand), the SEA Games (3-2 against Thailand), the ASEAN U-23 title and a U-23 Asian Cup bronze, and gone six from six in Asian Cup qualifying. His contract now runs through the 2027 Asian Cup. Pragmatic, compact, defence-first and counter-punching, he has leaned heavily on naturalised and overseas-born players — Xuân Son, Hoàng Hên, Tài Lộc, Patrik, Pendant, and now Adou Minh and Williams Minh Hoàng.
How they play
A back three with high wing-backs — Tiến Anh right, Pendant Quang Vinh replacing the injured Văn Vĩ left — a double pivot of Hoàng Đức (the deep playmaker) and Thành Long (the destroyer), two inside-forwards in Hoàng Hên and Đình Bắc, and Xuân Son as a physical target man who drops to link. Patrik's distribution and shot-stopping were decisive in Bangkok. Compact without the ball, quick in transition, direct into Son and dangerous from set pieces. The weakness is a tendency to sit deep and invite pressure — 0-0 with Singapore, 2-2 at home to Thailand — and now a defence with only two centre-backs above 30 caps. Losing Quang Hải also removes the dead-ball specialist.
The squad — all 23
Fixtures — all times Bangkok / Jakarta
Last five
Philippines
Twenty-two of 23 based abroad, a striker averaging nearly a goal a game — and one goal in three August games against the same rivals
Prospects
On paper this is the strongest Philippine squad in years — 22 of 23 abroad, a Dinamo Zagreb full-back, a Brighton academy teenager and a striker averaging nearly a goal a game for his country. But the August evidence is sobering: the same coach with a weaker group scored once against three regional rivals and beat only Laos. Thailand look a level above; Vietnam have beaten the Philippines seven times since 2012. The opener in Bandung is effectively a knockout for second place, and it is hard to see them winning it. Beating Pakistan is the realistic minimum; a group exit the most likely outcome.
Thirteen goals in 17 caps — a strike rate unmatched in the region — including four against Timor-Leste in Asian Cup qualifying, and 13 in 17 club games for KFUM Oslo this season. He missed August because it fell outside the FIFA window; his return is the single biggest upgrade.
A 24-year-old right-back at Dinamo Zagreb, the biggest club in the squad, who scored against Myanmar in June. Isaiah Alakiu, an uncapped 17-year-old from Brighton's under-21s, is the debut call-up; Cole Mrowka of Columbus Crew was the August side's main creative reference.
The coach — Carles Cuadrat
A Barcelona-schooled former left-back, Cuadrat won the Indian Super League with Bengaluru and the Super Cup with East Bengal, and assisted at Midtjylland. He joined Albert Capellas's staff in March 2025, took over as interim when Capellas left and was made permanent that July. He steered the side through a 15-month unbeaten run before August's three defeats in four, and has publicly committed to a youth movement — only two over-30s in the summer squad. Structured possession is the aim; compact counters were the reality against Thailand.
How they play
A 4-3-3 with Manny Ott or Oskari Kekkonen as the deep controller, Sandro Reyes as the creative link and Cole Mrowka or Randy Schneider as runners; the full-backs — Paul Tabinas and Daisuke Sato — supply width and, oddly, goals. Against stronger sides they sit in a compact block and defend the box well; possession and chance creation were thin in August. Against weaker opponents they are ruthless from set pieces, with the Tabinas brothers arriving from defence. Cohesion is the risk: a squad assembled from nine countries with minimal preparation, most of whom last played together in June.
The squad — all 23
Fixtures — all times Bangkok / Jakarta
Last five
Pakistan
An invited guest ranked 198th, a Peruvian ex-Newcastle winger in charge who missed the camp over a visa, and a first FIFA-branded tournament
Prospects
Bleak on paper: 198th in the world, in a group with Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, missing their three most creative attackers, and with a coach who only met the squad in Indonesia. June's Diamond Jubilee trophy in the Maldives came against Maldives, Afghanistan and a Bangladesh U23 side — a different universe from Thailand's Thai League core. A point from three games would be a genuine achievement; competitive scorelines against Thailand and the Philippines are the realistic ambition. But they have an organised defence, a Champions League-level captain and a young striker with a story, and this is the most stable, most professionally staffed Pakistan side in a generation.
Danish-born, 1.92m, a ball-playing centre-back who "can dribble almost like a winger" and the mainstay of Mjällby's fairytale first Allsvenskan title. Made his Champions League qualifying debut in July — the only Pakistan player at a genuinely competitive European level.
Eighteen, Peshawar-born, moved to England after the 2014 school attack killed his brother, came through the Wolves and Wrexham academies and now plays in Finland. Two goals in the Maldives, including a fifth-minute opener in the semi-final. With Hamid absent, he is Pakistan's likeliest goal source.
The coach — Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Solano — "Maestrito", the first Peruvian in the Premier League, 230 games for Newcastle — was appointed in July 2025 to run the senior side and the U-23s after Stephen Constantine's deal lapsed. He spent seven years as Ricardo Gareca's assistant with Peru through a World Cup and a Copa América final. His Pakistan record is P8 W3 D3 L2, including June's Diamond Jubilee Cup — Pakistan's first international trophy since 1991. He missed the pre-tournament camp in Islamabad because the federation applied for his visa under the wrong category; Titus Bramble ran it. "Hard to beat, getting results" is the stated philosophy.
How they play
Built to be compact and hard to beat: a deep back four, two screening midfielders, quick transitions through wide players. In Malé they conceded nothing in four games. Strengths are Iqbal's aerial power and distribution, Suliman's intelligence as a hybrid holding midfielder and a keeper in form. The weakness is creativity: without Otis Khan, the Maldives MVP, and Harun Hamid, their best finisher — both reportedly unreleased by their clubs — the attacking third leans on an 18-year-old, a Bangladesh-league forward and a 34-year-old free agent. Against Thailand expect a low block, long balls to Nawaz and an attempt to make it a set-piece game. The 0-5 against Syria shows what happens when the block is broken.
The squad — all 23
Fixtures — all times Bangkok / Jakarta
Last five
The groups and the fixtures
Eight teams, two groups, and a format with no margin: only the group winners reach the final on 5 October. The runners-up play a bronze match the day before. Tables below will be updated after each round. All kick-off times are Bangkok time, which is also Jakarta time.
Group A — Jakarta
| Group A | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malaysia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Singapore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group B — Bandung
| Group B | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vietnam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Philippines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The finals — Gelora Bung Karno
Who wins it? Have your say
One vote per reader. We'll revisit the result before the final on 5 October.
Fancy backing your call properly? Predict the scores in the Football Siam Predictor — the manager top of the standings at the end of each month wins an official player shirt.
The one question nobody can answer yet
Whether this is a one-off or the first of many is genuinely unresolved — FIFA hasn't said anything, publicly or otherwise, about a second edition, a four-year cycle, or any plan at all beyond 5 October. Worth revisiting once the dust settles, not before.
What to actually watch this week
Friday's opener — Indonesia v Singapore in front of a full house at the Gelora Bung Karno — is the Premier Division's actual first football. Thailand v Pakistan on Saturday is the low-risk banana skin: Pakistan are new to a stage this size but Thailand without Suphanat are not the side that beat everyone at will over the summer. We'll have match reports through the group stage as usual.
Sources: FIFA — teams, dates, venues, Inside World Football — FIFA confirms Infantino to stand for re-election, Yahoo Sports — Infantino's term-limit loophole, Al Jazeera — rights groups urge FIFA to block Infantino re-election bid, Lao Dong — reported ASEAN Cup prize money cut, Tien Phong — Hudson's reported contract extension to 2029, Siam Sport — Hudson on the contract rumours, Mogaz — B.Bang Pakong's criticism of Hudson, Ballthai — Hudson on Weerathep and Ben Davis, Siam Sport — Thailand squad list, FA Thailand — Akkhatham replaces Khemdee, VFF — Vietnam squad, VFF — Quang Hải out, Minh Khoa in, Thanh Nien — FIFA ranking, 21 September release, ASEAN Football Federation — Herdman names Indonesia squad, Detik — Indonesia squad changes, Detik — Indonesia fixtures, Football Association of Singapore — Lions squad, SportPlus — Gavin Lee names 23, ESPN — Singapore appoint Gavin Lee, Bernama — FAM names Malaysia squad, The Star — Tan Cheng Hoe plugs injury gaps, ASEAN Football Federation — Bergson, Hidalgo and Tapp cleared, CAS — Malaysia naturalisation ruling, ASEAN Football Federation — Philippines squad, PFF — Cuadrat appointed, Geo — Pakistan squad, Dawn — Solano visa delay, Bramble runs camp, Daily Waadaa — Bangladesh finalise 23, Daily Star — Bangladesh accept invitation after India withdraw, TBS — Thomas Dooley appointed, Wikipedia — 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup squads, Wikipedia — 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, players.bio — Quang Huy names Indonesia favourites, Thairath — Suphanat's move to Omiya Ardija, Main Stand — Ben Davis, from Singapore prodigy to Thailand international
Buriram United
Rayong
Uthai Thani
Prachuap
Bangkok United
Port
Ayutthaya United
Pathum United
Ratchaburi
Chiangrai United
Pattani
Sukhothai
Sisaket United
Rasisalai United
Lamphun Warrior
Chonburi