Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia and the International Football Federation (FIFA) are negotiating the hosting contract for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, according to Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir.“FIFA has approved us to host the tournament, and negotiations are still ongoing over some details of the hosting contract,” he told reporters after a cross-institutional coordination meeting in Jakarta on Monday.Thohir, who also chairs the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), said the approval followed President Prabowo Subianto’s issuance of a government guarantee letter to FIFA.He noted that the contract would “not be much different” from the one used for Indonesia’s hosting of the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.“We are just working to synchronize a number of things,” the minister added.Highlighting Prabowo’s support for the unprecedented championship, Thohir stressed that the head of state views football as a means of uniting people nationwide and a nation-branding instrument.“It should be noted that the FIFA ASEAN Cup is a FIFA brand; it is neither a PSSI brand nor a state brand. This truly is a FIFA program,” he affirmed.The minister further argued that the upcoming tournament would be among FIFA’s most important events, stressing the need for Indonesia to maximize the opportunities presented by hosting the inaugural edition.Scheduled from Sept. 23 to Oct. 3, the FIFA ASEAN Cup will mark the first Southeast Asian tournament organized by FIFA for national teams. Regional sides have long competed in the ASEAN Championship, formerly known as the AFF Cup and Tiger Cup, since 1996.The FIFA-sanctioned tournament will be split into Premier Division and Challenge Division, hosted by Indonesia and Hong Kong, respectively.Teams with stronger regional records—Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines—are placed in the Premier Division alongside India and Pakistan. The Challenge Division will feature Hong Kong, Myanmar, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste.The draw placed Indonesia in Group A of the Premier Division with Malaysia, India, and Singapore, while Thailand will face Vietnam, Pakistan, and the Philippines in Group B.Meanwhile, cohost Hong Kong will meet Myanmar and Brunei Darussalam in Group A of the Challenge Division, with Group B comprising Cambodia, Laos, and Timor-Leste.