What’s next for PMNFT after Asian Cup Qualifiers heartbreak? ASEAN tournaments await

Alta Sports2 days ago · 229 views

What’s next for PMNFT after Asian Cup Qualifiers heartbreak? ASEAN tournaments await image

Photo: Philippine Football Federation

By Joel Reyes

The Philippines men’s national football team fell short in their bid to reach the 2027 AFC Asian Cup after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Tajikistan in their Group A finale in the Qualifiers. The Pinoy booters needed a victory for them to advance to the Continental Meet but were denied by the Tajiks in their home field.

It’s back to the drawing board for Carles Cuadrat’s men, who still have a pair of international tournaments to tackle later this year. Alta Sports looks at these two events as the Philippines aims to bounce back following their Asian Cup Qualifiers heartbreak.

2026 ASEAN Championship

The Philippines will return to action on July when they will take part in the 2026 ASEAN Championship. The month-long tournament, also known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026, will take place from July 24 to August 26.

It will follow the same format since 2018, with the nine highest-ranked teams in the Southeast Asian region automatically qualifying for the main tournament. Brunei and East Timor, the two lowest-performing ASEAN teams, will play a two-legged qualifier to determine the 10th and final qualifier.

Group A consists of Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and the winner of the qualifier between Brunei and East Timor. The Philippines found themselves in Group B alongside powerhouse Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Laos.

The top two finishers in each group will advance to the knockout stage, with the winner of Group A facing the runner-up of Group B in the semifinals. The other semis pairing will feature the Group B winner against the runner-up of Group A. The semifinals will be disputed over two legs.

The winners of those two semis matchups will then face off in the finals. The title showdown will also be a two-legged affair. The Philippines haven’t reached this stage of the competition before, with their best finish coming in the semifinals back in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2024.

2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup

The Southeast Asian nations will renew their rivalry one month after the conclusion of the ASEAN Championship, with FIFA organizing its first-ever tournament in the region.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the launch of the FIFA ASEAN Cup last October 26, 2025, after the signing of a memorandum of agreement at the 47th ASEAN Summit. The announcement caught the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) by surprise as it had already been organizing the ASEAN Championship since 1996.

Plans for the FIFA ASEAN Cup became more concrete last March 20, 2026, when the international football governing body announced that the tournament will be held around September to October following the staging of the ASEAN Championship.

This is a golden opportunity for the Philippines to make their mark on the international stage and become the first-ever FIFA ASEAN Cup champion.

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