| Organising body | SEAGF AFF |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1959 (men) 1985 (women) |
| Region | Southeast Asia |
| Number of teams | at most 11 (men) at most 11 (women) |
| Current champions |  Indonesia (men; 3rd title)
 Vietnam(women; 8th title) |
| Most successful team(s) |  Thailand (men; 16 titles) Vietnam(women; 8 titles) |
 2023 Southeast Asian Games | |
Football has been part of the SEA Games sport since the 1959 edition. The women's football competition was held for the first time in 1985 in Thailand.
From the 2001 SEA Games to the 2015 SEA Games, the age limit for men's teams was under-23 plus up to three over-aged players for each squad.
Since the 2017 SEA Games, the age limit for men's teams is under-22. At the 2019 SEA Games, two over-aged players were allowed for each team.
Thailand and Vietnam are the only two nations have won both Gold medals of Men's and Women's tournament in a Southeast Asian Games.