Singapore will play in Group A of the Premier Division in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup alongside Indonesia, Malaysia and India. The tournament runs from September 24 to October 3, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].
Group B includes Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan, who replaced China after it withdrew to participate in a warmup tournament ahead of the 2027 Asian Cup [1, 2, 3, 4].
The Challenge Division features two groups: Group A with Hong Kong, Myanmar and Brunei, and Group B with Cambodia, Laos and Timor-Leste [1, 2, 3, 4].
The tournament format eliminates semi-finals. The winners of each group will play each other for the championship, while the runners-up compete for third place. Each team will play between two and four matches over the tournament [1, 2, 3, 4].
The event is scheduled during a FIFA international match window, enabling teams to select all available players. Desmond Ong, deputy president of the Football Association of Singapore, said the tournament provides "valuable real-life tournament exposure ahead of the 2027 Asian Cup." He noted, "Our proposed opponents are teams we know well. It will be interesting to see how we measure up against them, given the different journeys that each of these countries have undertaken in recent times" [1].
FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the new tournament on October 26, 2025, at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur [1, 2, 3, 4].
The tournament is expected to offer substantial prize money, with the Premier Division champion receiving $1 million USD and the Challenge Division champion $300,000 USD. Participating teams will receive $125,000 each plus additional match bonuses. Total prize money for the event exceeds $4 million USD [4].
Participating associations were informed of the tournament details by FIFA circular on July 27, 2026, and group and format details were officially shared on July 29, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].
