The 2-3 defeat to U22 Vietnam in the final match of the 33rd SEA Games men's football not only made U22 Thailand miss the appointment with a gold medal at home, but also marked many unwanted statistical milestones for youth football in the land of the Golden Temple.
According to statistics from regional media, this is the first time in 58 years that Thai men's football has failed to win a gold medal at the SEA Games as the host country. The last time the Thai men's team failed at a SEA Games held at home was in 1967,
In addition, U22 Thailand also extended their streak of not winning the SEA Games to 4 consecutive times, starting from 2017 to present. During this period, the Thai youth team was eliminated from the group stage of the 2019 SEA Games, while at the 2021, 2023 and 2025 SEA Games, they only won silver medals.
Despite being the most successful team in the history of the SEA Games men's football tournament with 16 gold medals, Thailand U22 has not been able to regain its dominance for nearly a decade. Statistics show that since the SEA Games applied the U22 age, the Thai team has only won once, while the Vietnam U22 team won 3 gold medals.
The 33rd SEA Games final match is also a clear demonstration of the change in the situation of regional youth football. U22 Thailand led 2-0 in the first half, but could not maintain the advantage. The fact that the opponent scored 3 goals in a row, including a goal conceded in extra time, showed problems with match control and playing mentality at the decisive moment.
Southeast Asian media assessed that this defeat raises many questions about the training and preparation of the next generation of Thai football, especially in the context that they still own a football background with a long tradition of leading the region.
On the other hand, the victory of U22 Vietnam further highlights the statistical contrast. Since 2017, when the SEA Games moved to compete at the U22 level, Vietnamese youth football is the team with the most championships, with 3 gold medals, surpassing the remaining opponents in the region.
The failure at the 33rd SEA Games is therefore considered a remarkable milestone in the history of Thai youth football, when a series of previous positive records were ended right at home.
