Vietnam to face Thailand, China in 2024 Asian Futsal Championship

Thailand is considered the strongest team in the group, ranked 26th in the world and fourth in Asia. Following are Vietnam (38th), Myanmar (78th) and China (85th).

Thailand's best results at the Asian Futsal Championship were runners-up in 2008 and 2012, Vietnam fourth in 2016, China fourth in 2008 and 2010, and Myanmar never made it past the group stage. In the most recent edition in 2022, Thailand finished fourth, Vietnam reached the quarterfinals, while Myanmar and China did not participate.

The Asian Futsal Championship has been held 16 times, with Iran winning 12 times and Japan winning the remaining four. The Land of the Rising Sun is the current champion, having beaten Iran 3-2 in the 2022 final.

The 2024 tournament will take place from April 17 to April 28, with 16 teams divided into four groups. The teams will compete in a round-robin to select the four winners and four runners-up to advance to the quarter-finals. The four semi-finalists will qualify for the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan. If Uzbekistan reaches the 2024 AFC Futsal Championship semi-finals, the four losing quarter-finalists will compete in a play-off round for a World Cup ticket.

In the past, Vietnam has never won against Thailand when the opponent has the strongest squad. However, the team has a higher level than Myanmar and China, so it is considered a strong candidate for the second place in Group A.

Vietnam's goal is to qualify for the 2024 World Cup for the third consecutive time on the world stage. The team will gather in March 2024 and then participate in an international futsal tournament held at home, expected to face New Zealand, Morocco and an Asian representative. After that, coach Diego Giustozzi and his team will go to Thailand for training to complete the preparation process.