The official draw for the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 took place in Jakarta on January 15, 2026, placing the Indonesian national team in Group A with defending champions Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, and the winner of the Timor Leste or Brunei Darussalam play-off. The tournament will run from July 24 to August 26, 2026, using a home-and-away format. Coach John Herdman and captain Rizky Ridho expressed optimism about winning Indonesia's first title.
The group draw for the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026, the 16th edition of the biennial tournament first held in 1996, occurred in Jakarta on Thursday, January 15, 2026, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN championship. Eleven Southeast Asian nations will compete, with the group stage using a home-and-away half-league system.
Indonesia's national team landed in Group A alongside Vietnam—the defending champions who secured their third title in 2024 by defeating Thailand 5-3 on aggregate—Singapore, Cambodia, and the winner of the play-off between Brunei Darussalam and Timor Leste. The play-off is set for the first leg in Brunei on June 2 and the second in Timor Leste on June 9, 2026. Group B features Thailand (seven-time winners in history), Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos.
The top two teams from each group advance to semifinals on August 15-16 (first legs) and August 18-19 (second legs), followed by a two-legged final on August 22 and 26, 2026.
Indonesia's coach John Herdman, making his Southeast Asian debut, views the draw as a golden opportunity. "In my opinion, precisely because Indonesia has never won this tournament, it becomes a big opportunity for the new coach," Herdman said. He highlighted Indonesia's six runner-up finishes without a title, noting the non-FIFA window could sideline Europe-based players, leveling the field.
Captain Rizky Ridho is equally confident. "This is not an easy group. We have to work harder... insyaallah this time we can win with the new coach," he stated. Ridho targets the final and victory, emphasizing commitment as key despite potential absences of diaspora players like Jay Idzes.
AFF President Major General Khiev Sameth welcomed the draw optimistically: "With the completion of the draw... we now move forward confidently to the next stage."
The 2024 edition drew 541 million TV viewers and nearly 13 billion social media views, underscoring the tournament's popularity.
