Việt Nam’s futsal team train in HCM City to prepare for the 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. — Photo courtesy of VFF

Futsal

HCM CITY — Việt Nam’s futsal team began training on Wednesday with a 20-player squad as they prepare for the 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG), scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from December 11 to 21.

Head coach Diego Giustozzi has included several promising young players in the squad, alongside established internationals, as part of preparations for the continental event.

According to the Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF), the squad combines experienced players with emerging talents who have impressed in domestic futsal competitions.

In goal, Giustozzi has retained familiar faces Hồ Văn Ý and Phạm Văn Tú, while calling up Nguyễn Quốc Giàu and Đoàn Minh Quang.

Born in 2009, Giàu has previously been included in training squads. Quang, meanwhile, was named best goalkeeper at the 2026 National Futsal Championship, helping his team Sahako finish third.

Several other young players have also been called up, including Huỳnh Văn Hoài, Nguyễn Trọng Kiên, Nguyễn Hoàng Quân, Bùi Đức Quyền, Trần Lê Bộ and Nguyễn Thạc Hiếu. They have limited international experience with the national team.

Giving young players the opportunity to train alongside more experienced teammates is part of the coaching staff’s plan to strengthen squad depth and build for the future, including the long-term goal of competing for a place at the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

However, the team will also have to cope with injuries to key players.

Captain Nguyễn Mạnh Dũng is unavailable after suffering a ligament injury at the 2026 National Futsal Championship. Winger Đinh Công Viên has also suffered a recurrence of an injury, prompting the coaching staff to call up Triệu Xuân Linh as his replacement.

The team are currently training in HCM City, where Giustozzi will assess his options and fine-tune tactical plans ahead of a series of international friendlies in early November.

Việt Nam are scheduled to travel to Kyrgyzstan on November 1 for two friendlies against the hosts on November 3 and 5.

The squad will then travel to Russia on November 6 for two more matches against the Russian futsal team, scheduled for November 8 and 10, before returning to Việt Nam on November 11.

The four matches are expected to provide valuable opportunities for the coaching staff to test the squad, assess how the younger players adapt to international competition and improve teamwork against strong opposition.

After the overseas training tour, players will return to their local teams to compete at the National Sports Games, which will be held in HCM City from November 20 to 29.

Following the domestic competition, the national futsal team will regroup to complete preparations before travelling to Saudi Arabia for AIMAG 2026.

Balancing immediate competition demands with the development of younger players is expected to help Việt Nam remain competitive at continental level while building a stronger foundation for future campaigns. — VNS