HLV Hudson: 'Thailand is not a championship contender, the Vietnam national team is very strong'

Coach Anthony Hudson admitted that Thailand is not a favorite to win the 2026 ASEAN Cup, as the Vietnam national team is exceptionally strong and has made meticulous preparations for the competition.

At 1:30 PM on July 14, at the Novotel Future Park Rangsit hotel, the Thailand men's national football team gathered to prepare for the 2026 ASEAN Cup (Southeast Asian Championship).

This training camp includes head coach Anthony Hudson and 24 players. Striker Patrik Gustavsson will join the team on August 5.

Coach Anthony Hudson stated: "Right after announcing the squad and during the FA Awards ceremony, I, along with Madam Pang (Nualphan Lamsam), President of the Football Association of Thailand, agreed that our goal with this combined squad is to do our best and advance as far as possible in the tournament.

In my view, Thailand is not a championship contender this time for several reasons. For instance, the Vietnam national team has had about 3-4 weeks of preparation ahead of the tournament. Singapore is in a similar situation. However, overall, I am satisfied with the current squad, and our objective now is to give our all.

I believe we cannot underestimate the Vietnam national team. As everyone knows, they have had a lengthy preparation period, their domestic league has paused to support the national team, and they have gathered their best players for this competition. I say this not to shift pressure onto them but simply to look at the facts. On paper, we truly cannot take the Vietnam team lightly."

Regarding future World Cup opportunities, Mr. Hudson said: "FIFA increasing the number of teams for the World Cup finals is a positive signal for football nations like ours.

After working with several national teams, I have seen that expanding the World Cup will create many positive opportunities for teams, from brand value and investment to the overall development of football. This is good because it will encourage teams with lower FIFA rankings, who have never been to the World Cup, to gain more motivation to grow, from their domestic leagues to youth development programs."

Meanwhile, midfielder Picha Autra, who returns to the Thailand national team after more than two years away, shared: "I am currently fully healthy. Bangkok United only resumed training yesterday, but I have been maintaining my preparation during the mid-season break through the club's online training programs for 2-3 weeks.

I think every environment and every tournament brings valuable experience. The important thing is that each player knows how to adapt to the next team.

This training camp includes many new faces, as well as those who have been called up before but were absent for a long time, so everyone needs to learn and adapt to each other. I believe the preparation period is sufficient if everyone puts in the effort. The goal is to fulfill our roles well and work toward a common objective.

Regarding the World Cup expansion, we haven't discussed it much. But personally, with more slots available, everyone wants to perform well now to aim for that goal and prove whether we are ready or not."

In the 2026 ASEAN Cup, Thailand is placed in Group B alongside Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos.