Why Vietnamese fans might miss out on the FIFA ASEAN Cup and Asiad 2026?

I stood on the wet grass of the My Dinh training ground on an early September afternoon, where the Vietnamese national team was completing its final training sessions ahead of the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup. The atmosphere felt strange. Not the usual pre-tournament tension, but a different kind of silence – the silence of absent television cameras.

Outside the fence, a group of young fans were arguing passionately. They weren't discussing the 3-4-2-1 formation or the scoring ability of the leading striker. Their question was much simpler: "Will we be able to watch live on TV this coming Saturday night?"

That was the moment I realized that the real story of this transfer window and season lies not in blockbuster contracts or new tactics, but in something far more invisible yet essential: the right to watch.

From the wet grass of My Dinh, I learned to hear the future before others see it. And that future is hanging in the balance of an unresolved rights negotiation.

Context: The schedule is set, but the broadcast signal is not

According to information from VietNamNet, the Vietnamese national team under coach Kim Sang Sik has finalized its gathering plan for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup. The match schedule is set: facing the Philippines on September 26 at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, Indonesia; three days later, meeting Thailand; and concluding the group stage against Pakistan on October 2 in Jakarta. A dense schedule – three matches in less than a week – posing significant challenges for fitness and squad rotation.

Simultaneously, the 2026 Asian Games (Asiad) will run from September 19 to October 4, featuring 43 sports and 469 events. The Vietnamese sports delegation aims to win 4-6 gold medals and finish in the top 20 overall. But all those goals, all that preparation, are being threatened by an issue that seems purely administrative: broadcasting rights.

A major Vietnamese television station is reportedly "close to having bought" the FIFA ASEAN Cup rights at a "reasonable price" – but the word "close" in sports journalism is often a sign of unresolved uncertainty. And more importantly: across the entire Southeast Asian region, no entity currently owns the rights to this tournament.

Why is this happening?

Core: FIFA changed the rules of the game

The answer lies in a systemic change. The 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup is no longer organized by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) as before. For the first time, FIFA directly controls the organization and commercialization of this regional football product. This means: instead of negotiating with AFF – a regional body familiar to local broadcasters – stations now have to negotiate directly with FIFA.

And FIFA, as anyone following the global sports rights market knows, does not sell cheap.

The centralization of broadcasting rights under FIFA control means the reference price rises, terms become more rigid, and flexibility in breaking down packages for individual markets decreases significantly. This is the fundamental reason why the entire Southeast Asian region – a market where football is the king of sports but purchasing power for rights is limited compared to Europe – is currently facing a blank slate.

This is not a story unique to Vietnam. It is a story for the entire region. But because Vietnam has the largest fan base, the highest level of interest following a recent ASEAN championship, the pressure on domestic broadcasters is greatest.

Contrarian view: The market's silence could be a good signal

I have followed rights negotiations in various markets, from Serie A to the English Premier League. And I have learned one thing: silence is not always bad news.

The fact that no entity in Southeast Asia has bought the rights package could reflect a calculated waiting strategy. Major regional broadcasters may be coordinating to put pressure on FIFA, forcing the organization to offer a price more appropriate to the region's purchasing power. In this context, a Vietnamese station being "close" to a deal could be a negotiating signal – a way of telling FIFA that "we are ready to buy, but at our price."

At the same time, the mechanism of sub-licensing to domestic television units could be a solution to spread costs. If a major station buys the overall package and then sells it to local stations, fans could still watch for free or at low cost. This is a model that has succeeded in many countries, and Vietnam could easily adopt it.

However, the Asiad issue is more complex. With 43 sports, buying the rights to the entire games is a massive financial burden. The current impasse in Japan shows that even wealthy markets face difficulties. Here, the most practical solution might be highlight packages, delayed broadcasts, or purchasing rights only for key sports like football, athletics, and swimming.

Takeaway: A test of trust between fans and the media industry

I witnessed Alisson's saves at the 2026 World Cup and understood that composure is also a form of genius. In this rights story, composure is perhaps what both fans and negotiators need.

But there is a thin line between composure and indifference. If the FIFA ASEAN Cup kicks off and Vietnamese fans cannot watch live, the reputation of broadcasters and sports authorities will suffer severely. After an ASEAN championship victory, fan expectations are sky-high. They don't just want the team to perform well; they want to witness it with their own eyes.

I have stood outside the training ground fence long enough to know that even stars sometimes lose their balance. But I also know that, in football, the worst thing isn't losing a match – it's not being able to see the match at all.

The question for the coming weeks: Will the parties find common ground before the opening whistle blows? Or will fans have to follow their team through short social media updates?

I will continue to observe from the wet grass, and record the community's pulse. Because that pulse, even if muffled by contract clauses, will always be the most important thing in football.