Thailand national team head coach Anthony Hudson has confirmed that he will rely on a youthful squad for the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026, with the tournament set to serve as a crucial platform for the country’s next generation of footballers.
The announcement followed a strategic planning meeting held on 23 June 2026 at the Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand) headquarters, where FA officials, Hudson and his coaching staff discussed preparations for both the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 in July-August and the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 scheduled for September-October.
Hudson acknowledged that assembling the squad presents a unique challenge, as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup falls outside the FIFA international calendar, meaning clubs are not obligated to release players during their pre-season preparations.
“As discussed in today’s meeting, planning for the ASEAN Cup is quite complicated because the tournament is not played during a FIFA international window,” Hudson explained.
“Many players are committed to their clubs during pre-season, so our objective is to select the best available players who receive permission from their clubs to join the national team.”
The English coach revealed that Thailand are scheduled to begin their training camp on 14 July, with negotiations already underway between the Football Association and domestic clubs regarding player availability.
Hudson confirmed that emerging talents will form the backbone of Thailand’s squad, complemented by a handful of experienced internationals to provide leadership across key positions.
“Our current plan is to call up mainly young players, while adding experienced players in selected positions to guide the squad,” he said.
“The goal is to create the right balance between youth and experience. Most importantly, we want to give opportunities to our younger players.”
The approach signals Thailand’s long-term vision of accelerating the development of future national team stars while remaining competitive in regional competition.
Despite fielding a youthful squad, Hudson stressed that Thailand will still approach the tournament with ambition.
“Our focus is on taking the tournament one game at a time,” he said.
“We all share the same objective of going as far as possible. We don’t want to place unnecessary pressure on the players. Instead, we want them to express themselves and perform at their highest level.”
Hudson also acknowledged that several ASEAN rivals are expected to field full-strength squads and hold overseas training camps, but insisted Thailand’s focus remains firmly on its own preparations.
“Many countries will bring their strongest teams and prepare extensively abroad. Our responsibility is to concentrate on ourselves and ensure we are as ready as possible.”
The former New Zealand international coach admitted Thailand’s recent performances have fallen below expectations but believes there are valid reasons behind the inconsistency.
“We haven’t performed as well as we would have liked recently,” Hudson admitted.
“There were several contributing factors, including the absence of many first-choice players and the fact that several footballers weren’t at peak match fitness because they were outside their regular competitive season.”
“However, the experience has allowed me to learn a great deal and to work closely with many players.”
Thailand will officially begin its ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 training camp on 14 July before opening its Group B campaign against regional rivals Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos.
Credit Photo : FA Thailand
