The 2026 Asian Futsal Championship qualifiers will feature 31 teams, divided into 8 groups (7 groups of 4 teams and 1 group of 3 teams). The teams will play a round-robin format to determine rankings in their respective host countries.
The eight group winners and the seven best-performing second-placed teams will qualify for the finals, which will be held in Indonesia in January 2026. Indonesia, as the host nation, is automatically qualified for the finals without having to play in the qualifying rounds.
For the first time, the AFC has applied the latest FIFA futsal rankings to the seeding of the Asian Futsal Championship qualifiers. Ranked 5th in Asia and 31st in the world , the Vietnamese futsal team is placed in Seed Group 1, alongside strong teams such as Iran, Japan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Iraq.
Being seeded in the top group is not only an advantage in terms of professional skill but also a recognition of the consistent efforts and achievements of Vietnamese futsal over the past decade.
From 2014 to the present, the team has advanced beyond the group stage five times in a row at the Asian Futsal Championships, notably reaching the semi-finals in 2016, the best achievement in the history of Vietnamese futsal.
Returning to Vietnam's group in the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship Qualifiers, Lebanon and China are considered two direct competitors for Coach Diago Giustozzi's team. In their most recent encounters, the Vietnamese futsal team faced Lebanon in the play-off round for a spot in the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup. After two matches ending in draws (0-0 and 1-1), Vietnam advanced thanks to the away goals rule. Meanwhile, in the 2024 Asian Futsal Championship Finals, Vietnam defeated China 1-0 in the group stage.
The 2026 Asian Futsal Championship qualifiers will take place from September 20th to 24th. This is a key tournament for the Vietnamese futsal team in 2025, alongside the SEA Games which will be held in December in Thailand.
According to the plan, in preparation for the continental futsal championship qualifiers, the Vietnamese national futsal team will convene after the 2025 National Futsal Cup concludes in August.
With this draw result, the Vietnamese futsal team has a great opportunity to continue asserting its position on the continental stage as 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 strongest teams in Asia but also demonstrates the progress and stability of Vietnamese futsal in recent years.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-cung-bang-voi-trung-quoc-tai-vong-loai-futsal-chau-a-2026-706900.html
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