Draw results for men’s and women’s football, and men’s and women’s futsal at the 33rd SEA Games
The draw ceremony for men’s and women’s football, as well as men’s and women’s futsal at the 33rd SEA Games, officially took place in Thailand – the host country of the event. Vietnam’s national teams have now learned their opponents and will enter the final stage of preparation, aiming for strong performances at the upcoming SEA Games.
24/10/2025 10:21:32
In the men’s football tournament, Vietnam are drawn into Group B alongside Malaysia and Laos. The competition features a total of 10 participating teams, divided into three groups — Groups A and B with three teams each, and Group C with four teams. Teams were seeded based on previous performance and host status, with Thailand (host nation, A1), Indonesia, and Vietnam placed in Pot 1; Myanmar, Malaysia, and Cambodia in Pot 2; Timor-Leste, the Philippines, and Laos in Pot 3; and Singapore in Pot 4.
Teams will play in a single round-robin format within their groups, with the three group winners and the best second-placed team advancing to the semifinals. At this SEA Games, the men’s football event continues to apply the U22 age limit (players born on or after January 1, 2003), with no overage player slots allowed.
According to the schedule, the group stage will take place from December 3 to 12, the semifinals on December 15, and the bronze-medal match and final on December 18. Three stadiums have been selected as venues: Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok), Tinsulanonda Stadium (Songkhla), and 700th Anniversary Stadium (Chiang Mai), with Rajamangala hosting both the semifinals and final.
In the women’s football tournament, Vietnam are placed in Group B alongside Myanmar, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The competition features eight teams divided into two groups of four. The draw placed Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Cambodia in Group A.
Teams will compete in a single round-robin format within their groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. The group stage will take place from December 4 to 13, followed by the semifinals on December 14, and the bronze-medal match and final on December 17.
Matches will be held at two venues — Chonburi Stadium and TNSU Chonburi Stadium — with Chonburi Stadium hosting the semifinals and final.
In the women’s futsal competition, Vietnam are drawn into Group B alongside Myanmar and Indonesia, while Group A consists of Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. This is considered a balanced group, as both Myanmar (ranked 48th in the world) and Indonesia (ranked 52nd) have shown rapid progress in recent years and posed significant challenges to Vietnam in previous SEA Games editions.
In the men’s futsal competition, with only five participating teams — Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar — the organizers have decided to adopt a single round-robin format to determine the final rankings. The Vietnam men’s futsal team aims to put in their best effort to reach the final.
In preparation for the 33rd SEA Games, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has proactively developed early training plans for all national teams. The U22 Vietnam team — the core squad for the SEA Games — has been training in parallel with the senior national team during FIFA Days and has participated in two international friendly tournaments, the U22 CFA Team China 2024 and 2025, against many quality opponents. Promising young players have also been given regular opportunities for competitive exposure, with several having featured in the 2024 ASEAN Cup. Most recently, the team held a training camp in the UAE during the October 2025 FIFA Days, playing two high-quality friendly matches against U23 Qatar. In November, the team is expected to compete in another international tournament in China, featuring the host nation and two other strong Asian sides — considered an important step in their preparations for the 33rd SEA Games and the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.
The Vietnam women’s national team will regroup on October 21 before heading to Japan for a training camp and international friendlies. Meanwhile, both the men’s and women’s futsal teams will begin their training camps at the end of October, aiming to achieve the best possible results at this year’s SEA Games.