Thailand face Indonesia for inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup title

Thailand will face hosts Indonesia in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 final on October 5 as the War Elephants seek to become the first champions of the new FIFA competition.

The match kicks off at 8pm at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, with Thailand coached by Anthony Hudson and captained by Chanathip Songkrasin.

Thai fans can watch the match live via the DAZN website or application, with registration and login required before viewing.

Thailand and Indonesia meet for title

Thailand reached the final as Group B winners, while Indonesia topped Group A to secure their place in the decider.

Thailand recorded two wins and one defeat in the group stage, securing a place in the final after beating Vietnam 2-0 in their second match before losing 2-1 to the Philippines in their final group game.

Indonesia also won two of their three matches and drew the other, sealing top spot in Group A with a 9-2 victory over Bangladesh in their final group-stage match.

The two sides last met at the 2022 ASEAN Championship, when their group-stage encounter finished 1-1.

Hudson expects fast, physical final

Hudson said he expected an entertaining contest against a physically strong Indonesian side that prefers to attack quickly and directly.

“I think we are going to see a really exciting and entertaining game,” he said. “Both teams are very good and the atmosphere in the stadium is incredible.”

Hudson said Thailand were looking forward to playing in front of Indonesia’s passionate home support and were well aware of the hosts’ strengths.

“We know they are a physical team, an attacking team, and they play quickly and directly. I believe it is going to be a very exciting game.”

The England-born coach said Thailand had achieved their initial objective by securing a final place after only two group matches, despite competing in a difficult section that included Vietnam.

Thailand’s early qualification allowed Hudson to rotate his squad heavily for the 1-2 defeat to the Philippines, making nine changes to his starting line-up.

Hudson said the decision was deliberate, allowing players to rest while ensuring others received playing time during the tournament.

He acknowledged that making so many changes carried the risk of reducing the team’s performance level, particularly with limited training time, but said his priority was to arrive at the final with several key players fresh.

“No one was happy with the result, but the reasons behind our decisions were very clear,” Hudson said. “If I had to make the same decision again, I would do the same.”

Chanathip targets history and confidence boost

Chanathip said Thailand were determined to make history by winning the first edition of the FIFA ASEAN Cup.

“This is the first FIFA ASEAN competition and every team has brought its strongest squad,” he said. “The coaching staff and the players want to make history. That is the most important thing.”

He added that victory over Indonesia could provide Thailand with an important confidence boost ahead of future Asian competition.

“If we win, we will meet them again at the Asian Cup, so it would give us more confidence,” Chanathip said.

The Thai captain also noted how much Indonesian football and other Southeast Asian teams had developed since Thailand last faced them several years ago.

He highlighted Indonesia’s physical strength and technical ability, as well as the number of players with international backgrounds competing in strong leagues.

“I am very happy that we finally have the opportunity to play them again after waiting quite a while,” Chanathip said.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup, staged for the first time in 2026, features all 11 ASEAN member nations alongside three guest teams, with Indonesia and Hong Kong, China serving as hosts.