The Dream of Watching Vietnamese Football: Where Are the Broadcasting Rights for FIFA ASEAN Cup and Asiad?

Saigon summer night, the roadside cafes begin to thin out. But in a small corner, a middle-aged man still sits, his eyes glued to a blurry TV. He waits for an announcement: will he be able to watch the Vietnamese national team play in the upcoming FIFA ASEAN Cup? No one answers. Only the cicadas' relentless chirping, like a lingering anxiety. I remember the summer of 2026, when the whole country burst into joy over the AFF Cup victory. Crowds poured into the streets, singing and embracing. That emotion, priceless. And now, as the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 approaches – a tournament Vietnam has already won – fans face the risk of not being able to watch it live. Look at the schedule. September 26, Vietnam meets Philippines at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung. Three days later, they face Thailand. Then October 2, Pakistan in Jakarta. Three matches in less than a week. A compressed calendar demanding maximum squad rotation from coach Kim Sang Sik. But what worries fans more is whether these matches will even be broadcast? Broadcasting rights, like an invisible curtain, are obscuring the joy of millions. A major Vietnamese TV station is 'close to' finalizing the rights purchase. But 'close to' is not 'done.' And notably, FIFA organizes this tournament, making the negotiation process more complex than any previous regional competition. I once followed a rights deal in England. When the Premier League set a new price, many small broadcasters withdrew, leaving top matches only for those who could pay. But in Southeast Asia, the story is harsher: not a single entity in the region owns the rights. The entire market is locked out. A price war where fans are the ones who suffer. And then Asiad. The Asian Games with 43 sports, 469 events, running from September 19 to October 4 – overlapping with the national team's schedule. Vietnam's delegation targets 4-6 gold medals and a top-20 finish. But Asiad rights are deadlocked in Japan, where negotiations are 'very difficult.' Fans may not get to watch live. A heartbreaking prospect. But is there a solution? Sub-licensing to domestic TV stations could be a way out. But the cost of a multi-sport rights package is often too high for a single market. I look at the cafes, the small houses, where people gather to watch football. It's not just a match. It's a ritual, a belief, a thread connecting the community. When that thread breaks, not only does football lose value, but a part of our collective memory fades as well. Broadcasting rights should not be a dividing wall. They should be a bridge. If FIFA truly wants to develop Southeast Asian football, they need to understand: the pitch is not just about commerce, but also about the hearts of millions. And those hearts beat with every roll of the ball.