The 2026 Asian Futsal Championship takes place right after the U23 Asian Championship finals close, marking the dense cycle of Vietnamese football in the early stages of the year. For the futsal team, this is not only a tournament to compete for achievements but also an opportunity to test new forces when many pillars such as Ho Van Y, Nguyen Minh Tri, Pham Duc Hoa,... do not participate.
Not achieving the medal target at SEA Games 33 puts great pressure on Vietnam futsal in terms of results. Therefore, the opening match against Kuwait is of key significance, helping the team create psychological momentum before direct competitions in the group.
In terms of force balance, Group B including Vietnam, Thailand, Kuwait and Lebanon is not considered too heavy. Thailand is still the biggest opponent of Vietnamese futsal in the race to the top of the group, while Kuwait and Lebanon are ranked lower in terms of level. In the qualifying round, Vietnam once showed superiority when winning heavily against Lebanon with an overwhelming game.
However, Kuwait is not a name that can be underestimated. The West Asian representative was once one of the leading futsal teams in the continent, with 13 appearances in the Asian finals, twice ranked fourth and participated in the 2012 Futsal World Cup. Kuwait is also a familiar force in the West Asian region with the regional championship a few years ago.
However, the prolonged international ban has significantly affected the development of Kuwait futsal. In the current FIFA rankings, the Vietnamese futsal team ranks around the top 20 in the world, while Kuwait is in the lower half of the top 50. This gap partly reflects the difference in stability and force depth between the two teams at the present time.
In the past, confrontations between Vietnam and Kuwait often took place balanced, both in official and friendly arenas. This required the Vietnamese futsal team to enter the game cautiously, especially when the team had paid the price at SEA Games 33 against lower-rated opponents.
If they maintain a proactive playing style, good pressing ability and efficiency in finishing, Vietnamese futsal has every chance to win all 3 points. A victory against Kuwait will be an important stepping stone for coach Diego Giustozzi's team to aim for the goal of competing for the top spot in Group B with Thailand.
Score prediction: Vietnam Futsal Team 3-0 Kuwait Futsal Team
