Vietnam's national team receives positive signals from their biggest Southeast Asian rival.

Coach Anthony Hudson confirmed that the Thailand national team will prioritize using many young players at the 2026 AFF Cup to prepare for the future.

While many Southeast Asian teams are targeting the 2026 AFF Cup with their strongest squads, Thailand has chosen a different approach. Coach Anthony Hudson confirmed that the "War Elephants" will prioritize using young players in the upcoming campaign, while also incorporating some experienced faces to maintain squad balance.

On June 23, The Football Association of Thailand held an important meeting to discuss preparations for the 2026 AFF Cup as well as the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup which will take place at the end of the year. After the meeting, Coach Anthony Hudson shared notable information regarding the squad Thailand will use in the upcoming regional tournament.

The American tactician admitted that the current selection process faces considerable difficulties since the 2026 AFF Cup does not fall within the FIFA Days period. He stated: "During the meeting, we discussed plans for the AFF Cup. I must admit that this is a complex period for player selection, as this tournament is not within FIFA Days and many players must serve their clubs to prepare physically for the preseason. Therefore, we will certainly try to select the most available players who are permitted by their clubs to participate in this tournament."

Coach Hudson also revealed that the Thailand national team is expected to assemble from July 14 and will work directly with clubs to finalize release plans. Notably, he emphasized: "For the majority of the squad this time, we intend to call up young players, along with a few experienced players to support in certain positions. We will try to combine these players in the most harmonious way. The key objective is to give opportunities to the young players."

After some results that were not as expected recently, the 44-year-old strategist believes the Thailand team needs more time to build cohesion. He shared that many key players are unable to fully assemble, while some others lack match rhythm due to limited playing time at their clubs. Nevertheless, Coach Hudson affirmed that the whole team still aims to go as far as possible and will approach the tournament with maximum focus on each match.

According to the plan, the Thailand national team will assemble from July 14 to prepare for the 2026 AFF Cup. In the group stage, the "War Elephants" are placed in Group B alongside Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos. By boldly giving opportunities to young players, Thailand is not only targeting results in this year's tournament but also laying the foundation for the long-term future of the national team.