The crushing defeat at the Nonthaburi Arena on Friday night marks the first time in history that Thailand has participated in a SEA Games featuring all four football events without securing at least one gold medal.
The men’s futsal tournament, played in a round-robin format, seemed destined for Thailand’s victory. Entering the final match, the hosts sat atop the table with a perfect nine points and a +10 goal difference, having defeated Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam. Indonesia, sitting second with 6 points after a loss to Vietnam, needed a miracle, a victory by a margin of more than three goals, to snatch the gold.
A Thailand player shows his disappointment after losing 1-6 to Indonesia in the men’s futsal final at the 33rd SEA Games at Nonthaburi Arena, Thailand on Dec. 19, 2025. Photo by Changsuek |
That miracle unfolded in spectacular fashion. Indonesia dominated from the opening whistle, netting two goals in the first half and adding a third early in the second. Desperate to salvage their goal difference, Thailand resorted to a risky power-play strategy, leaving their goal unguarded. The gamble backfired, as Indonesia punished them with three long-range strikes into an empty net.
The final score of 1-6 handed the gold medal to Indonesia on goal difference, ending Thailand’s perfect record in SEA Games men’s futsal. Prior to this match, Thailand had swept all 10 gold medals in the history of the event.
The result completes a nightmare campaign for the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), which previously targeted a clean sweep of all four gold medals: men’s and women’s football, and men’s and women’s futsal.
In men’s football, Thailand squandered a 2-0 lead in the final against Vietnam to lose 2-3 in extra time, marking their third consecutive SEA Games final defeat. In women’s football, the hosts lost 2-4 on penalties to the Philippines in the semi-finals, settling for bronze. Similarly, the women’s futsal team suffered a shock upset against Indonesia in the semi-finals, drawing 4-4 before losing 6-7 in a penalty shootout.
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Thailand players collapse after their 2-3 defeat to Vietnam in the SEA Games men’s football final at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, on Dec. 18, 2025. Photo by Read/Duc Dong |
While Thailand fell flat, Vietnam enjoyed a successful campaign, securing gold in men’s football and women’s futsal, along with a silver in women’s football. The Philippines also made history, breaking the long-standing reign of Thailand and Vietnam to win their first-ever gold medal in women’s football.
For Thailand, a nation that has historically dominated the region, winning 16 of 34 men’s football golds and 5 of 14 women’s football, the 33rd SEA Games marked a failure. The men’s football team have not tasted gold since 2017, and the women’s team have been waiting since 2013.
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