Indonesian fans fiercely debate over Vietnam not sending U23 team to ASIAD 2026

Vietnam’s decision to send U21 instead of U23 to ASIAD 2026 has triggered heated debates among Indonesian supporters with diverse viewpoints.

The VFF’s agreement to send only the U21 team rather than the U23 squad to ASIAD 2026 immediately caught the attention of Indonesian media and fans. On Indonesian football forums, this topic quickly ignited as many fans compared Vietnam’s strategy with the current state of Indonesian football.

Some fans believe Vietnam is on the right path by focusing on long-term vision instead of short-term performance pressure. One comment read: "Vietnam is expanding itself across Asia, while Indonesia naturalizes players only to suffer defeat at the SEA Games, quite ironic!" This comment received widespread agreement from the online community.

Additionally, many fans appreciate Vietnam’s proactive approach toward the new trends in Asian football. One opinion emphasized: "AFC changed the U23 Asian Championship plan to target the Olympics, and Vietnam immediately responded accordingly, very sharp." However, alongside support, some skeptical views also emerged.

A group of fans questioned the competitiveness of Vietnam’s choice not to use their strongest squad: "ASIAD is a prestigious Asian tournament, so not fielding the strongest team is puzzling." At the same time, they started reflecting on Indonesia’s situation and wondered which option would be better for their own team.

Some fans directly questioned PSSI: "Vietnam has made its decision, what about Indonesia? Should we send our strongest team?" But there were also voices calling for calmness: "PSSI will consider this carefully, so no need to worry! Just stay silent and move forward like the men’s futsal team that brought home the SEA Games gold medal!"

Given that U22 Indonesia was eliminated in a heartbreaking way at SEA Games 33 despite beating Myanmar 3-1 but losing on tiebreakers, the debate has become even more intense. Thus, Vietnam’s decision is not only a technical matter but also serves as a mirror for Indonesian fans to reassess their football development direction.