“It was a pleasure to be in beautiful Hanoi for the final match of the ASEAN Cup 2026 and experience the passionate atmosphere inside a packed stadium,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino wrote on his social media account.

Infantino arrived in Hanoi on the afternoon of August 26 together with FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom for a series of activities during his visit to Vietnam, including attending the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final between Vietnam and Thailand.

After the match, the FIFA president went onto the pitch to congratulate the players and present individual awards and the championship trophy to Vietnam.

He also witnessed first-hand the extraordinary scenes that followed, as Vietnamese supporters poured into streets across the country to celebrate after coach Kim Sang Sik’s side successfully defended the regional crown.

“Millions of people across Vietnam celebrated into the night after their team successfully defended the title, winning 4-2 on aggregate over two legs,” Infantino wrote.

He also praised Thailand’s performance in the decisive match, saying the visitors deserved great credit for fighting bravely to produce a dramatic 2-2 draw in the second leg of the final.

Infantino said such scenes captured the values FIFA seeks to promote as the organization continues working alongside its member associations to develop football and bring the best of the sport to communities around the world.

Vietnam’s victory capped another memorable ASEAN Cup campaign and allowed the national team to successfully retain the Southeast Asian championship in front of a packed home crowd.

The trip marks Infantino’s second visit to Vietnam. He first visited the country in February 2018, when he held meetings with Vietnamese authorities and toured the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center.

On the morning of August 27, Infantino and Grafstrom, accompanied by representatives from FIFA, the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), visited the PVF project in Hung Yen Province.

The FIFA delegation toured the site of a stadium and indoor arena currently under construction in Nghia Tru Commune. Under existing plans, the new PVF stadium will have a capacity of around 60,000 spectators.

Following the construction-site visit, Infantino and the delegation continued to the PVF Youth Football Training Center, where they toured its gym, sports hotel and training-pitch system.

The visit by Infantino and Grafstrom reflects FIFA’s continued interest in football development in Southeast Asia. It also gives Vietnam an opportunity to showcase a football system that is gradually developing through increasingly systematic investment in national teams, youth development, infrastructure and the organization of international football events.

Dai Nam