After U22 Vietnam won the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, regional media simultaneously assessed that Vietnamese football had completed a collection of important titles at the national team and youth team level, thereby affirming its dominance in Southeast Asia.
According to many media outlets in the region, the 33rd SEA Games championship has a special meaning for Vietnamese football. Not only helping U22 Vietnam regain the throne after the 32nd SEA Games that did not meet expectations, this gold medal also marks the strong return of a force that once dominated men's football at the SEA Games with two consecutive championships in 2019 and 2021.
Southeast Asian press believes that Vietnamese football is gradually surpassing, occupying the number one position in the region, which was previously often associated with Thai football.
The consecutive winning of important titles has reflected the stability and depth in the training, organization and development orientation of Vietnamese football over the years.
Not only stopping at the SEA Games, regional media also emphasized that Vietnamese teams will "sweep" major tournaments in the region throughout 2025.
Previously, U23 Vietnam was crowned Southeast Asian U23 Championship 2025 after an away victory over U23 Indonesia.
Furthermore, the Vietnamese team also won the 2024 ASEAN Cup championship after defeating Thailand with a total score of 5-3 after two final matches.
A common point that Southeast Asian press especially mentioned is that Vietnamese teams often win right at the home stadium of their opponents.
This shows the competitive spirit, strong mentality as well as clear progress in the profession of Vietnamese football at important moments.
In addition to the achievements of the teams, the role of coach Kim Sang-sik also received many compliments. Regional media assessed that the Vietnam Football Federation had made the right decision when appointing a Korean strategist, helping Vietnamese football quickly regain stability after a previous unsuccessful period.
In just about a year and a half, coach Kim Sang-sik and Vietnamese football have won three major titles including the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Cup and the 33rd SEA Games gold medal. This series of achievements is considered similar to the previous successful period under coach Park Hang-seo, when Vietnamese football continuously made its mark in regional and continental competitions.
However, Southeast Asian press also believes that the next big challenge for Vietnamese football will no longer be within the regional scope. In the 2026 U23 Asian Cup finals, U23 Vietnam fell into a group that was considered very difficult with the participation of host U23 Saudi Arabia and strong opponents such as U23 Jordan and U23 Kyrgyzstan. This is considered an important test to assess the ability of Vietnamese football to reach the continental level in the new period.
Many opinions say that with the current foundation of success, Vietnamese football has every basis to aim for higher milestones, thereby continuing to affirm its position not only in Southeast Asia but also on the Asian football map.
