Vietnam futsal team meets China in 2026 Asian qualifiers

VHO - On the afternoon of June 26, in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held the draw ceremony for the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship qualifying round. According to the results, the Vietnamese futsal team is in Group E with opponents Lebanon, China and Hong Kong (China).

The draw ceremony for the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship qualifying round took place on the afternoon of June 26 in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

The 2026 Asian Futsal Championship qualifiers feature 31 teams, divided into 8 groups (7 groups of 4 teams and 1 group of 3 teams). The teams compete in a round robin format to determine rankings in the host countries.

The eight group winners and seven best runners-up will advance to the finals to be held in Indonesia in January 2026. Indonesia, as hosts, will be given a direct entry to the finals without having to play in the qualifying round.

For the first time, the seeding grouping for the Asian futsal qualifiers has been applied by the AFC based on the latest FIFA futsal rankings. Ranked 5th in Asia and 31st in the world , the Vietnamese futsal team is placed in the number 1 seeding group, along with strong teams such as Iran, Japan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq.

Being placed in the highest seed group is not only a professional advantage but also a recognition of the efforts and stable achievements of Vietnamese futsal over the past decade.

From 2014 to now, the team has passed the group stage 5 times in a row at Asian futsal tournaments, especially reaching the semi-finals in 2016, the best achievement in the history of Vietnamese futsal.

In Group E, Lebanon and China are considered the two main rivals competing for a place in the next round with coach Diego Giustozzi and his team. In the past, Vietnam faced Lebanon in the play-off round for a ticket to the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup.

After two draws of 0-0 and 1-1, the Vietnamese team advanced thanks to the away goals rule. Most recently at the 2024 AFC Futsal Championship, Vietnam also defeated China 1-0 in the group stage. As for Hong Kong (China), this is an opponent that is rated lower in both achievements and level, but still needs to be cautious.

According to the plan, the 2026 Asian Futsal Qualifiers will take place from September 20 to 24, 2025. This is the key tournament of the year for Vietnamese futsal, along with the 33rd SEA Games to be held in December in Thailand. After the 2025 National Futsal Cup ends in August, the national team will officially gather to prepare for the qualifying campaign.

The teams in red are the hosts of their respective groups.

With this draw result, the Vietnamese futsal team is facing a great opportunity to continue to affirm its position in the continental playground when it only has to face lower-ranked opponents such as Lebanon, China and Hong Kong (China).

Being in the top seed group not only helps avoid the top strong teams in Asia but also proves the progress and stability of Vietnamese futsal in recent years.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/tuyen-futsal-viet-nam-gap-trung-quoc-tai-vong-loai-chau-a-2026-146308.html