The biggest football competition in Southeast Asia is set to return in December 2022 with the 14th edition of the AFF Championship.
Starting back in 1996, with the very first tournament being held in Singapore and known then as Tiger Cup due to the sponsor, this competition has captured the imagination of fans across this football-mad region.
The tournament officially became known in 2004 as the AFF Championship after the end of the sponsorship tenure, with Singapore emerging as the first victorious country under the new name.
Over the years, the competition has seen many different formats starting with one single host country, which then evolved to one host-country per group in 2002, with one of the countries being given all the knockout matches.
With the tournament growing more and more with each passing edition, the 2018 tournament saw the format being changed into a home-and-away format, with each team getting two home and two away ties.
Thailand have been the dominant force in the competition with six title wins following their win in Singapore last year.
Vietnam have lifted the trophy on two occasions, while the 2010 edition will be forever etched in the memories of Malaysians because it was the only time Harimau Malaya emerged as champions, losing the final on three other occasions.
Indonesia, meanwhile, still dream of their maiden win, having stumbled at the ultimate hurdle on six different occasions.
The complete AFF Championship winners list
| Year | Champions | Runner-ups | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Thailand | Malaysia | 1-0 |
| 1998 | Singapore | Vietnam | 1-0 |
| 2000 | Thailand | Indonesia | 4-1 |
| 2002 | Thailand | Indonesia | 2-2 (pen 4-2) |
| 2004 | Singapore | Indonesia | 5-2 (aggregate) |
| 2007 | Singapore | Thailand | 3-2 (aggregate) |
| 2008 | Vietnam | Thailand | 3-2 (aggregate) |
| 2010 | Malaysia | Indonesia | 4-2 (aggregate) |
| 2012 | Singapore | Thailand | 3-2 (aggregate) |
| 2014 | Thailand | Malaysia | 4-3 (aggregate) |
| 2016 | Thailand | Indonesia | 3-2 (aggregate) |
| 2018 | Vietnam | Malaysia | 3-2 (aggregate) |
| 2021 | Thailand | Indonesia | 6-2 (aggregate) |
Most AFF Championship wins
| Country | Times |
|---|---|
| Thailand | 6 |
| Singapore | 4 |
| Vietnam | 2 |
| Malaysia | 1 |
Most AFF Championship runner-up
| Country | Times |
|---|---|
| Indonesia | 6 |
| Malaysia | 3 |
| Thailand | 3 |
| Vietnam | 1 |