Futsal

Việt Nam will take part in the Continental Futsal Championship on August 1-6 in Thailand. Photo courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's top futsal players will get a chance to sharpen their skills at the 2026 Continental Futsal Championship in Thailand.

The Vietnamese side will join four other teams to vie for the trophy from August 1 to 6 at the Nonthaburi Province Gymnasium Stadium just outside of Bangkok.

Following a recent draw, Việt Nam will first play Russia, who were the runners-up at the 2016 World Cup, on August 1.

Of the five competitors, Russia are the top seed and strongest side, as they have placed seventh in the FIFA world ranking.

Thailand are in 11th place, followed by Afghanistan at No 21, Việt Nam at No 22 and New Zealand at No 48.

All five teams have appeared in the Futsal World Cup at least once.

Teams will compete in a round robin format, and the team with highest result will lift the trophy.

One day after facing Russia, Việt Nam will take on arch-rivals Thailand, who have participated in the futsal World Cup seven times. The match will be widely considered a regional final, as the two sides have been fierce rivals for several years.

Việt Nam will play Afghanistan on August 3 and will end the tournament with a clash against New Zealand two days later.

This is the sixth edition of the tournament since its debut in 2021. Thailand, who are the reigning champions, are hoping to complete their third straight title after winning in 2024 and 2025.

Other previous champions are Iran in 2021, Morocco in 2022 and Czech Republic in 2023.

According to the Việt Nam Football Federation, the tournament is an important warm-up for Việt Nam in preparation for major competitions later this year, including the 2026 Indoor Games and 2028 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Coach Diego Giustozzi said that to elevate the professional skills, mental toughness and experience of his players, the national futsal team needs to play around 14 to 15 matches per year.

Practical match experience is essential for the team, which is currently undergoing a generational transition with many new faces, to mature rapidly.

This approach also offers the best way for the coaching staff to identify individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as the pros and cons of their tactics and gameplay execution, allowing them to make necessary adjustments and build a perfectly functioning unit for the next two years.

According to the managers' plan, players will gather in HCM City on July 27 following the conclusion of the 2026 National Futsal Championship to prepare for the Thai competition. — VNS