Vietnam will not participate in the FIFA Series 2026 due to the Asian Cup 2027.

The Vietnamese national team will not participate in the FIFA Series 2026. This decision was made to prioritize the match against Malaysia in the final round of Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in March, where coach Kim Sang Sik's team needs a victory by at least four goals to keep their hopes of qualifying for the finals in Saudi Arabia alive.

Why is Vietnam absent from the FIFA Series 2026?

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced plans to organize the FIFA Series 2026 – a tournament bringing together national teams from different federations and held in March of even-numbered years. Despite its valuable competitive edge, the Vietnamese national team chose to withdraw from the tournament to focus all their efforts on their continental goal: the crucial match against Malaysia in the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Not spreading resources thin during a month of intense competition allows coach Kim Sang Sik to optimize preparation: training plans, personnel, and focus. The context of Group F means Vietnam needs not only three points but also a resounding victory to equalize points and improve their goal difference – a very challenging task.

The 2024 precedent and the regional landscape

This isn't the first time Vietnam has missed out. In 2024, the national team also did not participate in the FIFA Series due to their commitments in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. At that time, Southeast Asia had two representatives: Cambodia and Brunei.

In 2026, many strong teams in the region, such as Thailand and Malaysia, will also be unable to participate due to scheduling conflicts. Indonesia will be the only representative from Southeast Asia to appear as one of the eight host teams, having already secured a place in the 2027 Asian Cup finals by reaching the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Additionally, Thailand will host the FIFA Series 2026 women's football tournament.

FIFA Series: “A miniature version of the World Cup”

The FIFA Series, first held in 2024, brings together 24 national teams from various federations, without a fixed selection criteria. The presence of teams like Croatia and Egypt has led to the tournament being likened to a "miniature version of the World Cup," as teams have the opportunity to compete across continents in a short period of time.

Impact on Vietnam's 2027 Asian Cup campaign

On the Vietnamese side, after concluding 2025 with a victory against Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the entire team will reconvene in March to face Malaysia at home. The challenge is clear: they must win to equalize the points and create a gap of at least four goals to have any hope of qualifying for the finals in Saudi Arabia.

That goal might seem "impossible" if you only look at the required margin, but focusing all your efforts on one decisive match – instead of spreading your energy across a friendly tournament, however valuable – could offer concrete benefits in terms of preparation and recovery, thereby increasing the probability of achieving the goal.

Key milestones and figures

• FIFA Series 2026: to be held in March of even-numbered years.
• Scale: 24 teams will participate in the first edition (2024).
• Hosts for 2026: There will be 8 teams, including Indonesia.
• Southeast Asia: Cambodia and Brunei to participate in FIFA Series 2024; Thailand to host women's football in 2026.
• Vietnam needs to beat Malaysia by at least four goals in the final match of Group F in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The overall picture

While the FIFA Series opens the stage for cross-continental friendly matches, the competitive landscape of qualifying for continental finals has forced many Southeast Asian teams to make choices. For Vietnam, saying "no" to the 2026 FIFA Series is a way to allocate resources directly to a more urgent goal: a match that will determine their future at the 2027 Asian Cup.