Vietnam's strongest historical lineup revealed: Ready to claim the ASEAN Cup 2026 crown

After securing wins over Bangladesh and Malaysia, the Vietnam national squad is steadily forming its best possible formation, prepared to aim for retaining the AFF Cup 2026 championship.

Based on the current squad, the Vietnam team can operate flexibly with two different tactical setups, depending on the opponent and squad situation. In the first option, considered the most optimal lineup, the goalkeeper position belongs to Nguyen Filip. The three central defenders consist of Doan Van Hau on the left, Do Duy Manh in the center, and Bui Hoang Viet Anh on the right.

In the midfield, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh takes the left wingback role, while Truong Tien Anh operates on the right flank. The central midfield pair comprises Nguyen Hoang Duc and Le Pham Thanh Long, players rich in control and creativity. On the forward line, Nguyen Hai Long plays on the left wing, Nguyen Xuan Son holds the central striker role, and Do Hoang Hen operates on the right wing.

Meanwhile, the second option serves as a backup but still ensures quality with Dang Van Lam in goal. The defense includes Le Ngoc Bao, Nguyen Thanh Chung, and Tran Dinh Trong. On the wings, Nguyen Van Vi and Pham Xuan Manh provide mobility. The midfield features Nguyen Quang Hai alongside Xuan Bac from the U23 team, while the forward line is the trio of Nguyen Dinh Bac, Nguyen Tien Linh, and Pham Tuan Hai.

Besides the main lineup, the Vietnam national team also possesses a deep and promising reserve squad. The goalkeeper position includes the trio Tran Trung Kien, Patrik Le Giang, and Nguyen Dinh Trieu. The defense boasts standout figures from the 2026 Asian U23s such as Nhat Minh and Ly Duc.

The midfield gathers several alternatives ready to explode if they reach high form in V.League, including Minh Khoa, Van Truong, Duc Chien, along with overseas Vietnamese players like Khoa Ngo, Tran Thanh Trung, and Viktor Le. On the attack, notable backup options consist of Khuat Van Khang, Pham Gia Hung, and Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong.

According to the schedule, the AFF Cup 2026 will take place from July 24 to August 26, 2026, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the tournament's establishment. The competition gathers ten top Southeast Asian national teams, with nine teams entering the group stage directly, and the remaining spot determined through a play-off between Brunei and Timor Leste.

In the group stage, teams compete in a single round-robin format, home and away, with each team playing four matches. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, before proceeding to knockout matches in a home-and-away format until the final.

According to the draw results, the Vietnam team is placed in Group A alongside Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, and the winner of the play-off. This is considered a challenging group, but as the reigning champion, the red-shirted squad is still expected to demonstrate superior strength.

In the 2024 AFF Cup edition, Vietnam clinched the title after defeating Thailand with an aggregate score of 5-3 over two final legs, marking their third historical coronation. With the current squad and thorough preparation, fans can rightly anticipate another successful journey at the ASEAN Cup 2026.