Vietnam beat Thailand 2-0 in the AFF Championship final on 22 August 2026. The visitors took both goals after the break to complete a tournament victory. Thailand had entered as hosts but found themselves trailing on the scoreboard by half-time. The result ends the hosts' hopes of lifting the trophy on home soil.
Nguyen Hai Long opened the scoring in the sixty-second minute. Vietnam doubled their lead seven minutes later through Nguyen Quang Hai. The hosts showed little response after going behind. Things came to a head when the second goal arrived, and Thailand never got out of second gear after that.
There were yellow cards for Nguyen Thanh Chung in the fifty-seventh minute and K. Khamyok in the seventy-eighth. Several substitutions followed in the closing stages of the match. Thailand brought on S. Ratree, Y. Burapha, Hen Do Hoang, T. Poeiphimai and O. Thiangkham. Vietnam added Nguyen Dinh Bac and replaced K. Khamyok in the final minutes.
The statistics tell a familiar story. Thailand held 64 per cent possession but managed only three shots on target. Vietnam were more efficient with fifty-two percent of their shots hitting the target. The hosts created just one big chance while the visitors produced two.
Vietnam's recent form suggests this win was no fluke. They had beaten Malaysia twice and Cambodia before reaching the final. Thailand's last match was a defeat to Singapore, which may have unsettled them. The goal difference of two separates the two sides in the championship.