ASEAN Cup serves as early launchpad for Southeast Asia's 2030 World Cup campaign

Although the 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded only weeks ago with Spain lifting the trophy, several Southeast Asian nations have already shifted their focus toward qualifying for the 2030 tournament.

The ASEAN Cup is currently underway in Phnom Penh, where host nation Cambodia suffered defeats in its opening Group A fixtures, losing 2-1 to Singapore before being beaten 5-1 by Indonesia.

The biennial competition features 10 national teams from across Southeast Asia, a region with a population of around 650 million. While the championship title will be decided in late August, many participating teams are using the tournament as an opportunity to build momentum ahead of the next World Cup qualifying campaign, which begins next year.

Regional football powers Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are aiming to use the event to strengthen their squads before the Asian qualifiers. Indonesia remains the only Southeast Asian nation to have appeared at the World Cup, having competed as the Dutch East Indies in 1938.

ASEAN Football Federation President Khiev Sameth expressed confidence that a Southeast Asian team can soon secure a place on football's biggest stage.

He said the long-held ambition of seeing an ASEAN nation qualify for the FIFA World Cup is becoming increasingly realistic and believes the achievement would be a milestone shared by the entire regional football community.

Indonesia came closest among Southeast Asian teams to reaching the 2026 World Cup but is still searching for its first ASEAN Cup title despite finishing as runner-up six times in the tournament's history.

Earlier this year, Indonesia appointed English coach John Herdman, who guided Canada to its first World Cup appearance in 36 years at the 2022 tournament, to lead the national side.

Following its commanding victory over Cambodia, Indonesia is scheduled to play Timor-Leste on Friday before taking on Vietnam and Singapore next week.

Herdman said his primary objective is to help Indonesia qualify for the World Cup, adding that he wants to be part of the team's journey when it reaches that historic milestone.

Indonesia has also accelerated its player naturalization program by bringing in overseas-born footballers eligible to represent the country. In July, Australian-born players Mitch Baker and Luke Vickery officially became Indonesian citizens during separate ceremonies in Jakarta.

Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir, who also serves as president of the Indonesian Football Association, attended Baker's citizenship ceremony. The 19-year-old midfielder marked his ASEAN Cup debut with a hat-trick and earned player-of-the-match honors.

Thohir said Indonesia has set ambitious goals across major international competitions, including the SEA Games, Asian Games, Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, emphasizing that the country welcomes players committed to representing Indonesia with pride.

Vietnam head coach Kim Sang-sik is also targeting future World Cup qualification. The former South Korean international, who played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, said watching the recent tournament inspired both him and his players to dream of competing on the global stage.

Thailand, the most successful nation in ASEAN Cup history with seven titles, begins its campaign in Group B alongside Malaysia, Laos, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Thai head coach Anthony Hudson acknowledged the expectations surrounding his team, saying the pressure reflects the quality of the squad and the passionate support of the country's fans, who are eager to see sustained success.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, with the winners meeting in a two-legged final scheduled for Aug. 22 and Aug. 26.

Once the ASEAN Cup concludes, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam will shift their attention to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which is set to begin on Jan. 7 in Saudi Arabia.