Culture - Sports

Vietnam drawn in Group B at 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup

Vietnam, ranked 26th in the world and seeded in Pot 2 by FIFA’s August 29 rankings, landed in a challenging Group B with familiar rivals: 2022 runners-up Thailand, Kuwait and Lebanon. Vietnam shares Pot 2 with powerhouses Uzbekistan (19th), Afghanistan (33rd) and Iraq (41st), making for competitive group-stage fixtures right from the start.

Illustrative Image (Photo: VFF)
Illustrative Image (Photo: VFF)

Jakarta (VNA) – The draw for the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup finals took place on November 5 in Jakarta, Indonesia – the tournament’s host nation from January 27 to February 7, 2026. This marks the second time Indonesia has staged the continental event, after the first in 2002.

The tournament will feature 16 of Asia’s best teams, divided into four groups. The teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the top two from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. From the knockout stage onward, matches will be played in a single-elimination format to determine the new Asian champions.

Indonesia were drawn into Group A alongside Iraq, Kyrgyzstan and the Republic of Korea. The Garuda futsal team’s best performance came in 2022 when they reached the quarterfinals.

Vietnam, ranked 26th in the world and seeded in Pot 2 by FIFA’s August 29 rankings, landed in a challenging Group B with familiar rivals: 2022 runners-up Thailand, Kuwait and Lebanon. Vietnam shares Pot 2 with powerhouses Uzbekistan (19th), Afghanistan (33rd) and Iraq (41st), making for competitive group-stage fixtures right from the start.

Vietnam has previously made its mark on the Asian futsal stage, reaching the semifinals in 2016 and, for the first time in history, qualifying for the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

According to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the national futsal team is currently preparing for the 33rd SEA Games with a 20-man squad. The team is expected to either play an international friendly against a top Asian futsal opponent or travel to Indonesia one week ahead of the tournament for training and warm-up matches before officially entering the AFC Futsal Asian Cup campaign.

With a tough group ahead and a World Cup dream in sight, Vietnam will be aiming to repeat and surpass their previous historic achievements, while hosts Indonesia look to capitalise on home advantage to advance deep into the tournament./.

VNA
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