Vietnamese football receives praise from Thai fans after the national U17 team defeated Australia to secure a spot in the 2026 U17 Southeast Asian Championship final.

On the evening of April 22, the Vietnamese U17 team played excellently, staging an impressive comeback with a 2-1 score against Australia in the semifinals of the 2026 U17 Southeast Asian Championship.

Even Thai fans had to praise the performance of coach Cristiano Roland’s team, saying that Vietnamese football “is firmly holding the number 1 spot in Southeast Asia.”

“Vietnam is outstanding, truly deserving to be the number 1 football nation in Southeast Asia today. It must be acknowledged that Vietnamese football is talented across all age groups,” posted Buriram Prankster, one of Thailand’s largest football fanpages.

In the 2026 U17 Southeast Asian Championship, Thailand from the group stage. They even suffered a shocking 2-3 loss to Laos in the group stage.

Although Thai media later revealed that the home team only brought an U16 squad to the tournament, not the strongest U17 players, Thai fans still admitted that their youth football is facing many problems.

“We lost to Vietnam in the U22 arena, and now in the U17 arena. We can’t keep making excuses; we have to admit that Vietnam’s youth football is doing better,” commented one account on Buriram Prankster.

Thai fans exclaim 'must admit Vietnamese football excels at all ages' - Photo 3.

On the Pantip sports forum, the debate was also quite lively. One Thai fan commented: “Vietnam is doing well at all levels of youth football. In any tournament, they go far and meet the minimum expectations.

Meanwhile, we keep struggling with many projects and don’t really select the best players.”

In the 2024 U17 Southeast Asian Championship, Thailand lost narrowly to Australia on penalties in the final. Thailand and Vietnam are the two most successful teams in the tournament’s history, each with 3 titles, but now Vietnam has a great opportunity to pull ahead.

On the other hand, Thai fans hope their team will show true class at the U17 Asian Championship finals, which will take place from early May in Saudi Arabia.

Both Vietnam and Thailand will participate in this tournament, promising a comparison of achievements between the two leading youth football nations in the region.

Vietnamese U17 head coach Cristiano Roland affirmed that his players deserved to beat U17 Australia to earn the right to play in the 2026 U17 Southeast Asian Championship final.

U17 Southeast Asian Championship

The U17 Southeast Asian Championship is an annual youth football tournament organized by the ASEAN Football Federation for national teams from Southeast Asia. Established to develop young talent in the region, it serves as a key platform for players under 17 to gain international experience. The competition has grown in prominence since its inception, helping to strengthen football development across Southeast Asian nations.

Buriram Prankster

“Buriram Prankster” is not a recognized historical or cultural site; it appears to be a nickname or fictional reference. Buriram is a province in northeastern Thailand known for its ancient Khmer temples, such as Phanom Rung, and its modern sports culture centered around the Chang International Circuit. The term “prankster” may loosely refer to a local personality or playful tradition, but no established historical or cultural site by that name exists.

Pantip sports forum

The Pantip Sports Forum was a popular online community in Thailand dedicated to sports discussions, particularly focusing on football (soccer), boxing, and other local and international sports. It served as a hub for fans to share news, opinions, and analyses, fostering a vibrant digital culture before the rise of social media platforms. While its exact founding date is unclear, it was part of the larger Pantip.com network, which began in the late 1990s as one of Thailand’s earliest and most influential web forums.

U17 Asian Championship finals

The U17 Asian Championship finals are the culminating matches of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-17 Asian Cup, a premier youth football tournament for nations across Asia. First held in 1985 under the name AFC U-16 Championship, the competition serves as a key developmental platform for young talent and a qualifier for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The finals typically feature the top two teams from the knockout stage, who compete for the continental title and a chance to showcase Asia’s emerging football stars.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a country in the Middle East known for its vast deserts, rich oil reserves, and deep Islamic heritage. It is the birthplace of Islam, home to the two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, and was unified as a modern kingdom in 1932 by King Abdulaziz Al Saud. Today, it blends its historical roots with rapid modernization under the Vision 2030 plan.