The Asian Nations League makes new progress, Vietnam's national team faces a great opportunity

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is considering multiple approaches to guarantee the smooth and competitive execution of the Asian Nations League.

However, AFC Secretary General Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John stated that any decisions can only be made after the AFC Competitions Committee holds its scheduled meeting on January 24.

Mr. Windsor told BH Sukan: “We need to wait for the AFC Competitions Committee meeting on January 24, after which we will have a clearer understanding of how the Nations League will be organized. There are many options currently, but all will be carefully reviewed during the meeting, and we will wait until this process is complete.”

Previously, the AFC announced plans to launch a new tournament called the Nations League, aiming to enhance competitiveness and commercial value for national teams across the continent. However, in the official announcement, the Kuala Lumpur-based football organization did not specify an exact start date, only stating that the tournament would be held according to the current FIFA international match calendars.

The core feature of the AFC Nations League model lies in the promotion and relegation system. With 47 member associations having widely varying levels, grouping teams into different leagues will create more balanced matchups.

Before the AFC, UEFA launched the European Nations League in 2018 with the goal of increasing the number of competitive and meaningful matches for its member national teams. Besides UEFA, CONCACAF (North, Central America, and Caribbean) has also implemented a Nations League, while CONMEBOL (South America) currently organizes a Nations League for women's football.

For Vietnam’s team, the AFC Nations League opens a remarkable opportunity. Alongside familiar tournaments like World Cup qualifiers, Asian Cup, and ASEAN Cup, Vietnam’s national team could have an additional high-quality international competition during FIFA match windows. If the tiered system is applied, Vietnam is likely to be grouped among Asia’s mid-level teams, allowing them to regularly face opponents of similar strength rather than encountering teams that are either too strong or too weak as in past friendlies.