The 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup, or AFF Cup, is scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 26, 2026. The Southeast Asian tournament will feature 10 teams competing for the championship title and four places to advance to the semifinals.
The 10 participants are divided into two groups of five teams each. The group stage uses a round-robin format, so each team will play four matches, two at home and two away.
Based on the draw, the Indonesian national team was placed in Group A alongside defending champions Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, and Timor Leste. Group B features Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos.
In the group stage, John Herdman's team is scheduled to play two home matches at Pakansari Stadium in Bogor, against Cambodia and Vietnam. The other two matches will be played away from home to Timor Leste and Singapore.
The competition format only advances to the semifinals with the top two teams from each group. The Group A winner will face the Group B runner-up, while the Group B winner will face the Group A runner-up in a home-and-away format.
Unlike previous editions, which were generally held at the end of the year, the 2026 AFF Cup will take place mid-year, specifically during the dry season in most of Southeast Asia. This situation is expected to present a unique challenge for each team in maintaining player fitness during the busy match schedule.
The entire 2026 AFF Cup series will be broadcast on RCTI and the RCTI+ streaming service, while football fans in Indonesia can also watch the matches live on content creator Reza Arap's YouTube channel.
