# 2024 ASEAN Championship

The 2024 ASEAN Championship (officially the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 due to sponsorship reasons) was the 15th edition of the ASEAN Championship (formerly the AFF Championship) football tournament of nations affiliated to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF).
The final tournament was originally scheduled to run from 23 November to 21 December. However, the AFF decided to change the schedule from 8 December 2024 to 5 January 2025 to avoid conflicts with continental club competitions.
Vietnam secured their third title after defeating the two-time defending champions Thailand by a 5–3 aggregate score in the two-legged final.

## Format

The 2024 ASEAN Championship will follow format since 2018. In the current format, the nine highest ranked teams would automatically qualify, with the 10th and 11th ranked teams playing a two-legged qualifiers. The 10 teams would be split in two groups of five and play a round robin system with each team playing two home and two away fixtures. The top two sides of each group will advance to the knockout stages consisting of two-legged semi-finals and finals. Away goals rule would not be applied.

## Qualification

Nine teams automatically qualified to the ASEAN Championship final tournament. They were separated in respective pots, based on performance of the last two editions.
Brunei and East Timor, who were two lowest-performing teams, played a two-legged qualifier to determine the 10th and final qualifier. On 15 October 2024, East Timor beat Brunei by 1–0 on aggregate to become the last participant.
Australia, a member since 2013, did not enter the tournament, due to restriction imposed by the AFF.

### Qualified teams

| Team | Appearance | Previous best performance |
| Cambodia | 10th | Group stage (1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022) |
| Indonesia | 15th | Runners-up (2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2020) |
| Laos | 14th | Group stage (1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2022) |
| Malaysia | 15th | Winners (2010) |
| Myanmar | 15th | Fourth place / Semi-finalists (2004, 2016) |
| Philippines | 14th | Semi-finalists (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018) |
| Singapore | 15th | Winners (1998, 2004, 2007, 2012) |
| Thailand | 15th | Winners (1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022) |
| Timor-Leste | 4th | Group stage (2004, 2018, 2020) |
| Vietnam | 15th | Winners (2008, 2018) |

## Draw

The tournament's official draw was held on 21 May 2024 in Hanoi, Vietnam at 14:00 (GMT+07:00). The pot placements followed each team's progress based on the two previous editions. If the results are equal, the most recent tournament will be given priority.
At the time of the draw, the identity of the team that secured qualification was unknown and was automatically placed into Pot 5.
Ranking in the two previous tournaments :
| Pots | Teams | 2022 | 2020 |
| 1 | Thailand | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | Vietnam | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | Indonesia | 4 | 2 |
| 2 | Malaysia | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | Singapore | 5 | 4 |
| 3 | Philippines | 7 | 5 |
| 4 | Cambodia | 6 | 7 |
| 4 | Myanmar | 8 | 8 |
| 5 | Laos | 9 | 9 |
| 5 | Timor-Leste | NQ | 10 |

## Schedule

All matches were played from 8 December 2024 to 5 January 2025.
| Group stage | — | Group A | Group A | Group B | Group B |
| Group stage | — | Date | Matches | Date | Matches |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 8 December 2024 | 4 v 2 5 v 1 | 9 December 2024 | 4 v 2 5 v 1 |
| Group stage | Matchday 2 | 11 December 2024 | 2 v 5 3 v 4 | 12 December 2024 | 2 v 5 3 v 4 |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 | 14 December 2024 | 5 v 3 1 v 2 | 15 December 2024 | 5 v 3 1 v 2 |
| Group stage | Matchday 4 | 17 December 2024 | 3 v 1 4 v 5 | 18 December 2024 | 3 v 1 4 v 5 |
| Group stage | Matchday 5 | 20 December 2024 | 1 v 4 2 v 3 | 21 December 2024 | 1 v 4 2 v 3 |
| Knockout stage | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals |
| Knockout stage | — | Date | Matches | Date | Matches |
| Knockout stage | First leg | 26 December 2024 | 2nd A v 1st B | 27 December 2024 | 2nd B v 1st A |
| Knockout stage | Second leg | 29 December 2024 | 1st B v 2nd A | 30 December 2024 | 1st A v 2nd B |
| Finals |||||
| Knockout stage | — | Date | Date | Matches | Matches |
| Knockout stage | First leg | 2 January 2025 | 2 January 2025 | Semi-final Winner 1 v Semi-final Winner 2 | Semi-final Winner 1 v Semi-final Winner 2 |
| Knockout stage | Second leg | 5 January 2025 | 5 January 2025 | Semi-final Winner 2 v Semi-final Winner 1 | Semi-final Winner 2 v Semi-final Winner 1 |

## Officiating

On 4 July 2024, the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has officially confirmed the comprehensive use of video assistant referee (VAR) technology during the tournament. To ensure uniformity and professionalism, the VAR system will be managed by a third-party provider rather than utilising the resources available in member countries. For the group stage matches, 10 cameras will be deployed to capture the action, with the number increasing to 12 cameras starting from the semifinals. This initiative marks the first time VAR was used in the senior ASEAN Championship and only the second time it was used in an AFF tournament after the 2024 U-19 Boys Championship.

### List of officials

The following officials were chosen for the competition.
Referees
* Ismaeel Habib Ali
* Tam Ping Wun
* Wong Wai Lun
* Hiroki Kasahara
* Hiroyuki Kimura
* Koki Nagamine
* Koji Takasaki
* Ryo Tanimoto
* Ahmed Faisal Al-Ali
* Omar Al-Yaqoubi
* Salman Ahmad Falahi
* Kim Dae-yong
* Kim Woo-sung
* Ko Hyung-jin
* Mohammed Al-Hoaish
* Abdullah Dhafer Al-Shehri
* Rustam Lutfullin
* Firdaus Norsafarov
* Akobirxuja Shukurullaev
Assistant referees
* Salah Abdulaziz Janahi
* Faisal Alawi Sayed
* Lam Nai Kei Sam
* So Kai Man
* Wong Ping Chung
* Yudi Nurcahya
* Bambang Syamsudar
* Takeshi Asada
* Jun Mihara
* Isao Nishihashi
* Takumi Takagi
* Yosuke Takebe
* Tomoyuki Umeda
* Kota Watanabe
* Hamamoto Yusuke
* Ayman Faisal Hamzeh Obeidat
* Ahmad Mansour Samara Muhsen
* Mohd Yusri Muhammad
* Abu Bakar
* Khalid Ayed
* Zahy Al-Shmari
* Cheon Jin-Hee
* Jeon Jin-hee
* Kang Dong-ho
* Kwak Seung-soon
* Park Sang-jun
* Yoon Jae-yeol
* Ibrahim Al-Dakhil
* Saad Al-Subaie
* Khalaf Al-Shammari
* Saad Saud
* Abdul Hannan Abdul Hasim
* Supawan Hinthong
* Warintorn Sassadee
* Bakhtiyorkhuja Shavkatov
* Sanjar Shayusupov
* Timur Gaynulin
* Andrey Tsapenko
* Alisher Usmonov
* Nguyễn Trung Hậu
* Nguyễn Trung Việt
Fourth officials
* Thoriq Alkatiri
* Yudi Nurcahya
* Ryan Saputra
* Mohd Kamil Zakaria Ismail
* Muhammad Nazmi Nasaruddin
* Muhammad Usaid Jamal
* Razlan Joffri Ali
* Tuan Mohd Yaasin Tuan Mohd Hanafiah
* Ahmad A'Qashah
* Foo Chuan Hui
* Apichit Nophuan
* Mongkolchai Pechsri
* Pansa Chaisanit
* Songkran Bunmeekiart
* Wiwat Jumpa-on
* Firdaus Norsafarov
* Hoàng Ngọc Hà
* Lê Vũ Linh
* Ngô Duy Lân
* Nguyễn Mạnh Hải
Video Assistant officials
* Du Jianxin
* Choi Hyun-jai
* Mohammed Khled Sal Al-Hoish
* Mamdouh Mufareh Al-Shahdan
* Muhammad Taqi
* Sivakorn Pu-udom

## Venues

| Kuala Lumpur | Singapore | Singapore | Bangkok |
| Bukit Jalil National Stadium | National Stadium | Jalan Besar Stadium | Rajamangala Stadium |
| Capacity: 87,500 | Capacity: 55,000 | Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 51,560 |
| Yangon | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Phnom Penh |
| Thuwunna Stadium | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Olympic Stadium |
| Capacity: 50,000 | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Capacity: 50,000 |
| Vientiane | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Hanoi |
| New Laos National Stadium | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Hàng Đẫy Stadium |
| Capacity: 25,000 | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Kuala LumpurPhnom PenhSingaporeBangkokViệt TrìHanoiYangonSurakartaVientianeManilaclass=notpageimage| Location of stadiums of the 2024 ASEAN Championship. | Capacity: 22,500 |
| Việt Trì | Surakarta | Surakarta | Manila |
| Việt Trì Stadium | Manahan Stadium | Manahan Stadium | Rizal Memorial Stadium |
| Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 12,880 |

## Group stage
### Tiebreakers

Ranking in each group shall be determined as follows:
* Greater number of points obtained in all the group matches;
* Goal difference in all the group matches;
* Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches.
If two or more teams are equal on the basis on the above three criteria, the place shall be determined as follows:
* Result of the direct match between the teams concerned;
* Penalty shoot-out if only the teams are tied, and they met in the last round of the group;
* Drawing lots by the Organising Committee.

### Group A

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Thailand | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4 | +14 | 12 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Singapore | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Malaysia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | |
| 4 | Cambodia | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 4 | |
| 5 | Timor-Leste | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 18 | −15 | 0 | |

### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Vietnam | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Philippines | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Indonesia | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | |
| 4 | Myanmar | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 4 | |
| 5 | Laos | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 2 | |

## Knockout stage
### Bracket

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| A2 | Singapore | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | |
| B1 | Vietnam | 2 | 3 | 5 | | | | | |
| B1 | Vietnam | 2 | 3 | 5 | B1 | Vietnam | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| | | | | | A1 | Thailand | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| B2 | Philippines | 2 | 1 | 3 | A1 | Thailand | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| A1 | Thailand (a.e.t.) | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | |

### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Singapore | 1–5 | Vietnam | 0–2 | 1–3 |
| Philippines | 3–4 | Thailand | 2–1 | 1–3 (a.e.t.) |

#### Second leg

Vietnam won 5–1 on aggregate.
Thailand won 4–3 on aggregate.

### Final

| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Vietnam | 5–3 | Thailand | 2–1 | 3–2 |

#### Second leg

Vietnam won 5–3 on aggregate.

## Statistics
### Winner

* 2024 ASEAN Championship
* Vietnam Third title

### Awards

| Best goalkeeper | MVP | Best young player | Top scorer |
| Nguyễn Đình Triệu | Nguyễn Xuân Son | Suphanat Mueanta | Nguyễn Xuân Son |

### Goalscorers

There were 91 goals scored in 26 matches, for an average of 3.5 goals per match.
7 goals
* Nguyễn Xuân Son
4 goals
* Shawal Anuar
* Patrik Gustavsson
* Suphanat Mueanta
* Nguyễn Tiến Linh
3 goals
* Bjørn Martin Kristensen
* Ben Davis
* Teerasak Poeiphimai
2 goals
* Abdel Kader Coulibaly
* Muhammad Ferarri
* Paulo Josué
* Sandro Reyes
* Win Naing Tun
* Faris Ramli
* Kyoga Nakamura
* Akarapong Pumwisat
* Peeradon Chamratsamee
* Seksan Ratree
* Chalermsak Aukkee
* João Pedro
* Nguyễn Hai Long
* Nguyễn Quang Hải
1 goal
* Hav Soknet
* Sa Ty
* Sieng Chanthea
* Sor Rotana
* Andrés Nieto
* Kadek Arel
* Bounphachan Bounkong
* Chony Waenpaseuth
* Kydavone Souvanny
* Peter Phanthavong
* Phathana Phommathep
* Phousomboun Panyavong
* Fergus Tierney
* Stuart Wilkin
* Syafiq Ahmad
* Lwin Moe Aung
* Maung Maung Lwin
* Jarvey Gayoso
* Kike Linares
* Nicholas Mickelson
* Supachok Sarachat
* Suphanan Bureerat
* Olagar Xavier
* Doãn Ngọc Tân
* Bùi Vĩ Hào
* Nguyễn Văn Toàn
* Nguyễn Văn Vĩ
* Phạm Tuấn Hải
1 own goal
* Kakang Rudianto (against Laos)
* Zin Nyi Nyi Aung (against Indonesia)
* Michael Baldisimo (against Laos)
* Pansa Hemviboon (against Vietnam)

### Discipline

In the tournament, a player will be suspended for the subsequent match in the competition for either getting red card or accumulating two yellow cards in two different matches.
| Player | Offense(s) | Suspension(s) |
| Peeradon Chamratsamee | in 2022 final 2nd leg v Vietnam | Group A v East Timor (8 December 2024) |
| Wai Lin Aung | in Group B v Indonesia in Group B v Philippines | Group B v Laos (18 December 2024) |
| Marselino Ferdinan | in Group B v Laos | Group B v Vietnam (15 December 2024) |
| Phathana Phommathep | in Group B v Indonesia in Group B v Philippines | Group B v Myanmar (18 December 2024) |
| Yudai Ogawa | in Group A v Singapore in Group A v East Timor | Group A v Thailand (20 December 2024) |
| Maung Maung Lwin | in Group B v Indonesia in Group B v Laos | Group B v Vietnam (21 December 2024) |
| Amani Aguinaldo | in Group B v Indonesia in Group B v Vietnam | Semi-finals v Thailand (27 December 2024) |

### Tournament teams ranking

This table will show the ranking of teams throughout the tournament.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Final result |
| 1 | Vietnam | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 6 | +15 | 22 | Champions |
| 2 | Thailand | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 12 | +13 | 15 | Runners-up |
| 3 | Philippines | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | Semi-finalists |
| 4 | Singapore | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 7 | Semi-finalists |
| 5 | Malaysia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | Eliminated in group stage |
| 6 | Cambodia | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 4 | Eliminated in group stage |
| 7 | Indonesia | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | Eliminated in group stage |
| 8 | Myanmar | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 4 | Eliminated in group stage |
| 9 | Laos | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 2 | Eliminated in group stage |
| 10 | Timor-Leste | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 18 | −15 | 0 | Eliminated in group stage |

## Marketing
### Official match ball

The tournament's official match ball, Adidas Tiro Pro, was unveiled on 14 August 2024. This marks the return of Adidas as the ASEAN Championship Official Supplier after 20 years.

### Sponsorship

| Title Partner | Presenting Partners | Official Sponsors | Official Performance Partner |
| Mitsubishi Electric | MSIG Shopee | ALL - Accor Live Limitless Acecook Vietnam AirAsia Amartha Pocari Sweat Yanmar | Adidas |

## Media coverage

2024 ASEAN Championship television broadcasters in Southeast Asia :
| Country | Broadcasting networks | Television | Radio | Live streaming |
| Brunei | RTB, Astro | RTB Aneka, Astro Arena | — | RTBGo, Astro GO, Sooka |
| Cambodia | Bayon Television | BTV Cambodia | — | — |
| Indonesia | MNC Media | RCTI, GTV, iNews, Soccer Channel, Sportstars | MNC Trijaya FM | Vision+, Blive |
| Laos | BG Sports Co. | — | — | BG SPORTS |
| Malaysia | Astro | Astro Arena | — | Astro GO, Sooka |
| Myanmar | Sky Net | Sky Net Sports HD, Sky Net Sports 4 | — | — |
| Philippines | TAP DMV | Premier Football and Sports channels | — | Matchday+ |
| Singapore | Mediacorp | CH5 | — | meWATCH |
| Thailand | Triple V Broadcast Co., Ltd., BG Sports Co., AIS Play, Kong Salak Plus, TrueVisions, beIN Sports | Thairath TV, True Sports 2, True Sports 7, beIN Sports 1, beIN Sports 2 | — | Youtube: THAIRATH TV Originals Thairath Sport BG SPORTS Facebook: ThairathTV Thairath Sport BG Sports Nok Plus Online Platforms: AIS Play, TrueVisions Now |
| Vietnam | FPT Play, VTV | VTV2, VTV5, VTV Cần Thơ | — | FPT Play, VTVgo |
| 2024 ASEAN Championship international television broadcasters |||||
| Rest of World | YouTube | — | — | ASEAN United FC |
| China | Leisu | Leisu Sports Channel | — | Leisu TV |
| South Korea | Eclat Media | SPOTV | — | SPOTV Now |

## Incidents
### Hooligan fans problem

Following the end of the Group A match between Malaysia and Singapore at Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur with subsequent Malaysia elimination, a group of Malaysian fans began showing a disrespectful acts by holding the Singapore flag upside down. An LRT station of Bandar Tasik Selatan station was then targeted and damaged by the group. This violent attitude from irresponsible Malaysian fans were also shown earlier when one of them were arrested by police for the murder of a woman. Through further clashes between both Malaysian and Thai hooligan fans after Malaysia's match against Thailand, a Malaysian fan was injured.

### Criticism of officiating referees conduct

During the 2nd leg semi-finals match between the Philippines and Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, the Thai side missed out on two penalty kicks when two Filipino players committed handball in the penalty area, but the Japanese referee who officiated the match, Kimura Hiroyuki, still allowed the game to continue without checking on the video assistant referee (VAR). Later during the build-up to Thailand's goal on the 37th minute, it appeared as though the ball was already out of bounds before it was shifted back in by Seksan Ratree, who crossed it into the box for Peeradol Chamrasamee. The goal stood through the decision of referee, despite protests from the Philippine side.
There were incidents where VAR should have interrupted the match, including red card protest following a foul in the 4th minute from Phạm Tuấn Hải's aggressive tackle against Jonathan Khemdee, this occurred just before Tuấn Hải scored for Vietnam later in the 8th minute. There was also a handball incident outside the penalty box by goalkeeper Nguyễn Đình Triệu interrupting goal scoring opportunity for Suphanat Mueanta in the 62nd minute. VAR had checked the penalty possibility in the 85th minute following the tackle by Phạm Xuân Mạnh against Suphanan Bureerat inside the penalty area.
In the 64th minute of the 2nd leg of the 2024 ASEAN Championship final between Thailand and Vietnam, Thailand scored a sudden goal from a long-range shot by Supachok Sarachat, which raised the score to 2–1 for Thailand. Vietnam had kicked the ball out of play due to a Vietnamese player was injured on the field. Then when the ball was in play, the Thai players decided to play the ball and score.

### Criticism of AFF management of tournament

For a long time, AFF Championship has been known for its unprofessional management in many aspects. This year's competition also illustrated many amateur mistakes by authorities, such as scheduling issues, causing most teams to play their multiple matches within less than 72-hour time period, affecting after-match recovery, leading to multiple injuries due to excessive workload compared to the importance and stance of the competition. The tournament does not take place during the FIFA Days calendar, so the points coefficient is the lowest in the FIFA scoring system, reflecting the standard of competition organisation by AFF.
The competition was also well-known for its intensity in terms of match load, causing the teams to travel along the regions to play another match within little timespan between each match.

### Faulty medals

Vietnamese striker Nguyễn Tiến Linh was awarded a "unique" gold medal during the 2024 AFF Championship awards ceremony at Rajamangala Stadium. Although it is a gold medal, it has the words "Runner Up" written on it. This is not the silver medal awarded to the runner-up team but a faulty gold medal since other gold medals awarded to his teammate have the word "Champion" on it. When the organisers awarded the medals, Tiến Linh himself did not realise this, where he and his teammates continued to celebrate and lifted the cup as usual. The Vietnamese team striker still had the medal and took a photo to show off on social media. It was not until online fans pointed out the unusual points in Tiến Linh's photo that the striker discovered it. The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) then working with the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) on the matters to exchange a "genuine" medal for Tiến Linh. On 10 January 2025, the Organising Committee received the official complaint and apologised for the unexpected incident with a genuine gold medal to be awarded to Tiến Linh. On 8 February 2025, he proudly shared that he had been sent the official gold medal from the ASEAN Cup organizing committee.