59For football enthusiasts, international-scale tournaments are always highly anticipated events. If you're one of them, then rejoice because this year, Indonesia will officially host the 2025 ASEAN U-23 Cup, also known as the AFF U-23 Cup.
The ASEAN Cup is more commonly known as the AFF Cup, as it has used the AFF name since its inception. However, since 2025, the name of the AFF Cup has officially been changed to ASEAN Cup or ASEAN Championship. The full name of this tournament can also change with each period. The reason for this is that the naming will follow the brand of the tournament's main sponsor.
This tournament is divided into two categories: the senior-level ASEAN Cup and the age-based category. The senior-level ASEAN Cup was held from December 8, 2024, to January 5, 2025, with Vietnam emerging as the champion. Meanwhile, this year, Indonesia will host the ASEAN U-23 Cup, which is a football tournament for ASEAN countries, exclusively for players under the age of 23.
The 2025 ASEAN U-23 Cup will be held from July 15 to 31, 2025. The chosen venues for the matches are the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta and the Patriot Chandrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi.
In this tournament, 12 countries will participate, namely:
You might be confused, why Australia is included in the list above. Isn't the ASEAN Cup limited only to ASEAN countries? Here’s the explanation!
The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) is the organization that governs football in Southeast Asian countries, or ASEAN nations. Above AFF is the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) which oversees football across the entire Asian continent.
In 2006, Australia submitted a request to Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to move from Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to AFC to boost its chances of qualifying for the World Cup. The request was granted, considering Australia's geographical proximity to Asia.
Then, in 2013, Australia became a full member of AFF. This decision was based on the vote held during the 2013 AFF Extraordinary Congress in Dili, East Timor. Since then, Australia has officially been part of the same football federation as Indonesia and other ASEAN countries.
However, since joining the ASEAN football federation in 2013, Australia has only participated in age-group tournaments and the Asian Cup, but has yet to take part in the senior-level ASEAN Championship. There is no detailed explanation regarding the cause or reason and it is only mentioned that this is part of the initial agreement.
In 2019, Indonesia became the champion of ASEAN U-23 Cup, which was still called the AFF U-23 Championship at that time. Unfortunately, in the following two years, that victory was claimed by Vietnam. As the host of this tournament, the people of Indonesia naturally hope that this year, Indonesia can reclaim its victory.
To boost the spirits of the Indonesian players and help them achieve victory, you can cheer them on with positive comments on their social media accounts. In addition, don't forget to watch the matches live! It's best to experience the games live at the stadium.
If you're from outside the city, you can start planning your trip to Jakarta for the ASEAN U-23 Cup when it's held. Don't forget to protect your journey with Domestic Travel Insurance from MSIG Indonesia, so that you can be free from financial losses in case any risks occur during your journey.
Well, if you're not just a fan of watching football but also enjoy playing it, you should also get a Sport Insurance policy from MSIG Indonesia. So that you can enjoy your favorite sport without worries.
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