SEA Games 33 reduces the number of football matches.

The host country Thailand is considering reducing the number of matches in both men's and women's football at the 33rd SEA Games by dividing the participating teams into three groups instead of the previous two.

The Vietnamese women's football team at the 32nd SEA Games (Cambodia 2023) - Photo: NAM TRAN

The 33rd SEA Games will take place from December 9 to 20, 2025, in the cities of Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla in Thailand.

According to the latest proposal from the technical committee of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), the number of matches in both men's and women's football is expected to be reduced with a new group stage format.

Specifically, the teams are divided into 3 groups instead of 2 as in previous tournaments. After the group stage matches, the top 3 teams and the best-performing second-placed team will advance to the semi-finals.

This proposal is based on the format of Southeast Asian youth football tournaments and is awaiting approval from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

FAT explained that the new group stage format will reduce the number of matches from approximately 6-7 games in 10 days to only about 4-5 games. This is to ensure optimal physical condition and prevent injuries for the players.

Currently, the football competition at the 33rd SEA Games has 11 men's teams and 9 women's teams registered to compete.

In the event that the final number of teams does not meet the criteria for a three-group format, the two-group format will revert to the previous system. Thai media believe that this proposal from FAT is highly likely to be approved by the AFC. This could become a historic change for football at the Southeast Asian Games .

Since football first appeared in the SEA Games – in 1959 (men's football) and 1985 (women's football) – the competition format has always been 1-2 groups in the group stage.

Indonesia U23 is the most recent team to win a gold medal in football at the SEA Games - Photo: TTO

Prior to the proposal to reduce the number of matches, FAT had also approved a regulation that men's national football teams would only use U22 players (born on or after January 1, 2003) to allow teams to prepare for the U23 Asian Championship finals, which are held regularly in even-numbered years.

Historically, in the men's football event at the SEA Games, from the 2001 tournament when the age limit was set at U23 until now, the Thai team holds the record for the most gold medals: 7 times, followed by Vietnam and Malaysia with 2 each, and Indonesia with 1.

In the women's category, since its inclusion in the competition program in 1985, the Vietnamese women's team has won the most gold medals with 8 times, followed closely by the Thai team with 5 times.

Read more Back to the Home page

HOANG TUNG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sea-games-33-giam-so-luong-tran-dau-mon-bong-da-20250423152545504.htm