Thai fans react strongly as Vietnam wins its 4th Southeast Asian championship

Following Vietnam's U17 victory over Malaysia to secure their 4th title, Thai supporters showed respect and conceded the complete supremacy of Vietnamese football.

Vietnamese youth football has just created a real seismic event in the regional arena. In the final match of the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship, Coach Cristiano Roland's squad convincingly subdued the "Young Tigers" of Malaysia with a 2-0 score, thereby officially entering history as the tournament's most successful team (4 championships).

After leading by two goals in the first half, Vietnam U17 exploded again at minute 54. From a lightning-fast counterattack, Tri Dung crossed to set up Nguyen Van Dung for a close-range finish. Initially flagged for offside, VAR intervened and confirmed the goal amidst the red-shirted players' eruption of joy.

This double not only sealed the 3-0 score but also marked Van Dung's 6th goal in the tournament, affirming his status as a top striker. With this championship, Coach Roland officially extended an unbeaten streak of 16 matches, pushing Vietnam past both Thailand and Australia to become the new "king" of U17 football in the region.

Immediately after the final whistle sounded, football forums in Thailand erupted with numerous comments acknowledging the bitter reality for Golden Temple football. Vietnam's superiority from the national team level down to youth categories has left Thai fans unable to excuse themselves.

On the Pantip forum, a fan commented: “Vietnam is performing well at every youth football level. In any tournament, they advance far and meet expectations, while Thailand keeps struggling with unfinished projects.”.

Another account bitterly admitted: “We must admit Vietnamese football firmly holds the number one spot in Southeast Asia. They surpass us both in discipline and competitive spirit.”.

The shock of Thai fans peaked when observing how Vietnam U17 overcame even formidable opponents like Australia and Malaysia: “We lost to Vietnam at the U22 level, and now at U17. We can't keep excusing ourselves; Vietnam is now at a different level, strong across all age groups.”.

With 4 championships in history and a smoothly operating youth training system, Vietnam is gradually rising as the new benchmark of the region. The verdict is clear: Thai football is truly falling behind in this fateful two-horse race.

Hung Dung shines, Hanoi defeats Ninh Bình to close in on top 3