Vietnamese futsal team accepts invitation to compete in international tournament in Thailand, facing Russia in the opening match

According to an official release from the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), Vietnam's futsal side is set to participate in the 2026 Continental Futsal Championship, a global friendly event that brings together five national teams from three different continents, running from August 1st to 6th at the gymnasium of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization.

This marks the sixth edition of the tournament since its debut in 2021. Hosts Thailand are the reigning champions for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025), and they are aiming to complete a hat-trick of titles on home soil.

The FAT has confirmed that the 2026 Continental Futsal Championship will feature five teams: Thailand (ranked 11th worldwide), Russia (7th), Afghanistan (21st), Vietnam (22nd), and New Zealand (48th). Among them, Russia holds the highest FIFA ranking in the competition and was the runner-up in the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup.

The Football Association of Thailand has stated that the organizing committee reduced the number of participating teams to five to better suit organizational conditions, management operations, and medical requirements, thereby ensuring the tournament runs at the highest standards and providing optimal preparation for all teams.

Unlike many previous friendly tournaments, the 2026 Continental Futsal Championship will adopt a single round-robin format. The team with the highest total points after all matches will be crowned champion.

For the Vietnamese futsal team, this is considered a highly valuable training opportunity as they will face strong opponents from Europe, Asia, and Oceania in succession.

According to the schedule released by the FAT, coach Diego Giustozzi's squad will kick off their campaign against Russia at 5:00 PM on August 1st. On August 2nd, Vietnam will take on hosts Thailand, followed by a match against Afghanistan on August 3rd, and will conclude the tournament with a game against New Zealand on August 5th.

The Continental Futsal Championship was first held in 2021. Past champions include Iran (2021), Morocco (2022), Czech Republic (2023), Thailand (2024), and Thailand (2025).

This year's tournament is expected to remain one of the highest-quality international friendly events in Asia before teams turn their focus to major objectives for the remainder of 2026.

Vietnam futsal team's match schedule at the 2026 Continental Futsal Championship

5:00 PM on August 1st: Vietnam vs Russia

8:00 PM on August 2nd: Vietnam vs Thailand

8:00 PM on August 3rd: Vietnam vs Afghanistan

5:00 PM on August 5th: Vietnam vs New Zealand