Who are kings of Southeast Asian football: Vietnam, Indonesia or Thailand?

A debate over who rules Southeast Asian football has flared up after the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup. Indonesia beat Thailand 5-? (final) on October 5 to become the tournament’s inaugural champions, while Vietnam lost 0-1 to Malaysia in the third-place match the same day. Indonesian players posted online claims that their side are the undisputed “kings,” including Elkan Baggott and Justin Hubner. Thai outlets responded by using trophy counts from the ASEAN Cup history—Thailand seven titles, Vietnam and Singapore four each—and also citing FIFA world rankings, where Thailand is 93rd and Vietnam 99th. The discussion continues as other media still frame Vietnam’s traditional ASEAN Cup success as decisive.