After a breathless battle, Vietnam drew 2-2 with Thailand before captain Quang Hai lifted the ASEAN Cup 2026 trophy on an unforgettable night at My Dinh Stadium.

My Dinh glowed under the lights as Vietnam completed their journey to retain the ASEAN Cup crown with a dramatic 2-2 draw against Thailand.

After winning the first leg 2-0, Kim Sang Sik's side returned home with a commanding advantage. Yet there was nothing comfortable about the final 90 minutes in Hanoi.

Thailand twice took the lead, forcing Vietnam to fight until the closing moments.

Both of the hosts' goals came through Thai own goals, while the woodwork twice came to the War Elephants' rescue during an extraordinary night of twists and turns.

By the final whistle, the scoreboard read 2-2 and the aggregate score 4-2 in Vietnam's favour.

Then came the moment everyone inside My Dinh had been waiting for.

The ASEAN Cup trophy rose once again above a sea of red.

Players embraced, members of the coaching staff released all the emotion of a tense final, and Vietnamese flags filled the stadium as the celebrations began.

For Vietnam, this was more than the reward for another successful tournament.

The triumph marked a historic first for the national team: never before had Vietnam successfully defended their Southeast Asian championship.

The title also added another chapter to Kim Sang Sik's remarkable spell in Vietnamese football, with his team showing the resilience to withstand Thailand's pressure and find a way through the most difficult moments of the final.

For the supporters inside My Dinh, however, the numbers and records could wait.

What remained was the image that captured an entire campaign: Quang Hai and his teammates standing together on home soil, lifting the ASEAN Cup into the Hanoi night.

An emotional ASEAN Cup 2026 journey had reached its perfect ending.

Vietnam were champions again.

Ngoc Huy - Dai Nam