Jakarta and Bandung Join Hong Kong as Hosts of the First-Ever FIFA ASEAN Cup
Indonesia is set to welcome a wave of football fans this autumn. FIFA has confirmed that Jakarta and Bandung will serve as two of the three host cities for the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, with matches running from September 24 to October 5, 2026. Hong Kong completes the trio of venues for what will be the first edition of this regional tournament.
The Tournament at a Glance
Fourteen teams will compete across two divisions. Division 1 brings together Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, with Bangladesh and Pakistan joining as guest nations. Division 2 features Hong Kong (also a guest participant), Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste.
FIFA has framed the competition as a vehicle for raising the standard of football across Southeast Asia, strengthening ties between member associations, and giving fans in the region more access to high-level international matches. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was quoted by Xinhua as saying the tournament would "strengthen football ties across Southeast Asia while delivering unforgettable moments and fantastic international action for fans throughout the region."
What This Means for Jakarta and Bandung
Hosting a FIFA-sanctioned tournament of this scale is a significant moment for both cities. Jakarta, as Indonesia's capital and primary international gateway, will likely absorb the largest share of visiting supporters, officials, and media. Bandung, roughly 150 kilometres to the southeast and well connected by high-speed rail, adds a second venue that spreads the event's footprint across West Java.
The nearly two-week window, September 24 to October 5, covers multiple match days and gives traveling fans reason to extend their stays, explore both cities, and move between them. For independent accommodation providers, restaurants, and tour operators in either city, this is a concentrated period of demand from a regionally diverse visitor base, with supporters expected from across ASEAN and South Asia.
Why It Matters for Hosts
Independent operators in Jakarta and Bandung should begin preparing now. The tournament draws fans from at least eight competing nations, many of whom will be first-time visitors to Indonesia. Practical steps worth taking include updating property listings with accurate location details relative to stadiums, reviewing cancellation and minimum-stay policies for the tournament window, and considering whether multilingual communication materials in Malay, Vietnamese, Thai, or Bengali could ease the guest experience. Bandung hosts in particular may benefit from highlighting the city's accessibility from Jakarta, since fans attending matches in both cities will need somewhere to stay between fixtures. Coordinating with local transport providers ahead of the event could also be a differentiator for smaller properties competing with larger hotels.
Source
The details in this post were first reported by Xinhua and published by China Daily Hong Kong on September 11, 2026. This post was produced by the Qontaktly travel blog to provide additional context for hosts and travelers in the Indonesian destinations involved.
First reported by chinadailyhk.com.