Vietnam's national football team concluded its FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 campaign empty-handed, suffering a 0-1 defeat to Malaysia in the third-place playoff match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 5/10. This followed a 0-2 loss to Thailand in the group stage a week earlier, which eliminated their chances of reaching the final. These results mark a shift, as Vietnam had previously defeated both Malaysia and Thailand in the semifinals and final of the ASEAN Cup just last August.

"After losing to Thailand, they continued to fail against Malaysia and had to return home empty-handed from the FIFA ASEAN Cup", CNN Indonesia stated. The publication emphasized that "when opponents brought their strongest forces, Vietnam also lost its standing as Southeast Asian champions".

Vietnam (in red) lost 0-1 to Malaysia in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 third-place playoff at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 5/10/2026. Photo: Hai Tu

Vietnam (in red) lost 0-1 to Malaysia in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 third-place playoff at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 5/10/2026. Photo: Hai Tu

The dynamic of international tournaments plays a key role in this outcome. Vietnam, with its national team structure, can consistently summon its strongest squad for tournaments outside the FIFA Days calendar, such as the ASEAN Cup or SEA Games. However, the FIFA ASEAN Cup allowed other national teams, including Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, to gather their full squads. Consequently, these teams sought revenge after their previous defeats to Vietnam in the region's traditional tournaments.

Malaysian media widely celebrated the victory. Bernama headlined: "Malaysia ends 12-year wait by defeating Vietnam", highlighting the team's first win against Vietnam since the second leg of the AFF Cup 2014 semifinals. The Star described the win as "special", while Malaysiakini labeled it "historic", noting that a team ranked 136th by FIFA had defeated an opponent 37 ranks higher.

Malaysia secured its 1-0 victory against Vietnam with a goal from Fergus Tierney in the 62nd minute. The Scottish-born forward controlled the ball outside the penalty area, then turned and fired a long-range shot that passed through Bui Hoang Viet Anh's legs, leaving Le Giang Patrik surprised and rooted, watching the ball enter the net. The New Straits Times called it "a magical moment".

On X, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim congratulated Coach Tan Cheng Hoe's squad for "excellently defeating Vietnam", securing third place at the FIFA ASEAN Cup with an unbeaten record and no goals conceded. Mr. Anwar thanked the entire team for fighting wholeheartedly for their national colors, jokingly adding that there would be no holiday for this achievement.

Despite the result, the match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium saw balanced possession. Vietnam recorded 14 shots, double that of Malaysia, and exerted pressure at the start of the first half and towards the end of the second. However, Indonesian newspaper Suara noted that "Malaysia was more effective in utilizing opportunities". Thai media offered a report, observing that the match was balanced, decided by a single moment, and Vietnam failed to capitalize on its late pressure. Ball Thai also pointed out that both teams were missing several key players due to injuries; Vietnam was without Nguyen Xuan Son, Nguyen Quang Hai, and Nguyen Thanh Chung, while Malaysia missed Arif Aiman, Faisal Halim, and Brad Tapp, with captain Dion Cools also absent due to family matters.

By Trung Thu