Men's futsal and the chance to change medal colors at SEA Games 33

16/12/2025 07:15:00 PlaymakerHub

For the first time ever, the Vietnamese men's futsal team has broken into the FIFA Top 20 rankings, entering SEA Games 33 with strong confidence and high hopes of upgrading their medal color.

Positive signals from preparations, especially the morale boost from the FIFA rankings, are opening a new chapter for coach Diego Giustozzi’s squad. Vietnam’s futsal has risen to 20th worldwide, the highest rank since FIFA officially launched the futsal rankings.

Specifically, Vietnam currently ranks 2nd in Southeast Asia, just behind Thailand (11th in the world) and four places above Indonesia. In Asia, Vietnam is ranked 4th, following Iran, Thailand, and Japan. These figures not only represent statistics but also recognize a long-term, well-planned, persistent, and clearly guided investment process over many years.

However, a high ranking does not equate to an easy path atSEA Games 33. The Vietnamese futsal team will face tremendous competitive pressure, especially from Thailand. The host nation Thailand has won all five SEA Games tournaments since futsal was officially included in 2007. Indonesia is also a rapidly improving adversary, regarded by coach Diego Giustozzi as the most threatening. Vietnam’s futsal team suffered a loss to this very opponent in the final of the 2024 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship.

The single round-robin format with four matches in four consecutive days serves as an extremely tough "endurance test." Coach Diego Giustozzi, who won the 2016 Futsal World Cup with Argentina, expressed dissatisfaction with the schedule that could drain players' stamina. Conversely, Thailand and Indonesia benefit more from intermittent rest periods for recovery.

In this situation, the Argentine coach considers every match for Vietnam as a final. He emphasized the importance of the opening game against Malaysia at 16:00 today, December 16. According to him, this may be the most challenging match due to the psychological pressure of the opening day. Malaysia is no longer an easy opponent, having faced Vietnam many times and understanding their playing style well.

Vietnam’s futsal team faces a demanding schedule. Photo: VFF

Regarding personnel, Vietnam finalized the squad without two key experienced wingers, Tran Thai Huy and Chau Doan Phat. Nonetheless, this presents an opportunity for young, eager players like Cong Dai, Ngoc Anh, Minh Quang, and Ngoc Linh to showcase themselves, all currently in excellent form at their clubs.

SEA Games 2025 football schedule on December 16

Another highlight is the return of Minh Tri after a long recovery from ligament injury. Formerly Vietnam’s top futsal striker, Minh Tri promises to provide additional quality attacking options alongside Thinh Phat. Particularly, Da Hai, a talented 20-year-old, is seen as a major hope in attack with his toughness, composure, and rare cold finishing ability.

The squad coach Diego Giustozzi brought to Thailand is deep and balanced. He affirmed the whole team is in good spirits, ready to face pressure, and unafraid of any regional rival. The message to fans is clear: Vietnam’s futsal team may not guarantee results but will certainly compete with 100% passion and heart.

SEA Games 33is the stage where Vietnam futsal longs to rewrite history. In the last four SEA Games, the team earned 2 silver medals (2011, 2013) and 2 bronze medals (2017, 2021). With the new FIFA ranking, thorough preparation, and confidence from the coaching staff, coach Diego Giustozzi’s team fully deserves to dream of a new milestone on their journey to regional and continental prominence.

The women’s futsal semifinal at SEA Games 33 between Vietnam and the Philippines, at 13:30 on December 16, is a matchup with a clear skill gap.

Vietnam topped Group B with two wins against Indonesia and Myanmar. Although trailing in the first half of both matches, the Vietnamese women showed resilience by accelerating strongly in the second half to successfully come from behind.

In Group A, Thailand won all matches and led the group, while the Philippines placed second and had to face Vietnam in the semifinals. In their two previous encounters, Vietnam won both times. Coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang remains cautious, admitting the team’s playstyle is not yet fully smooth. With a stable-performing squad, two balanced lines, and effective players like Thanh Ngan and Thuy Trang, alongside quality substitutes such as A Dat Rin To, the Vietnamese women’s futsal team is capable of controlling the game and finishing the match at the right moment.

If they perform to their potential and maintain necessary focus, victory over the Philippines is within reach. Then, Vietnam is likely to meet Thailand again in the final, where the dream of winning the SEA Games 33 gold medal awaits realization.

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