ASEAN Championship
The ASEAN Championship (formerly known as the AFF Championship), currently known as the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the primary football tournament organized by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) for men's football national teams in the Southeast Asia.
Organising body | AFF |
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Founded | 1996 |
Region | Southeast Asia |
Number of teams | 10 (finals) 12 (eligible to enter qualification) |
Current champions | Thailand (7th title) |
Most successful team(s) | Thailand (7 titles) |
Website | affmitsubishielectriccup.com |
2024 ASEAN Championship |
Tournaments |
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A biennial international competition, it is contested by the men's national teams of the AFF to determine the sub-continental champion of Southeast Asia. The competition has been held every two years since 1996, scheduled to be in the even-numbered year, except for 2007, and 2020 (which was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). It was felt that a close co-operation at the football level would improve the quality of sport across the region and make it more competitive at the Asian and world level.
The ASEAN Championship title has been won by four national teams; Thailand have won seven titles, Singapore has four titles, Vietnam has two titles and Malaysia with one title. To date, Thailand and Singapore are the only teams in history to have won consecutive titles; Thailand in 2000 and 2002, 2014 and 2016 and also 2020 and 2022, and Singapore in 2004 and 2007. It is one of the most watched football tournaments in the region. The ASEAN Championship is also recognized as an 'A' international tournament by FIFA with FIFA ranking points being awarded since 1996.
Since 2018, the championship winners would compete in the following AFF–EAFF Champions Trophy, against the winner of the EAFF E-1 Football Championship, the champions of East Asia, to determine the champions of East and Southeast Asia. Although having joined the AFF on 27 August 2013, Australia has not played the ASEAN Championship as part of the initial agreement.