Indonesian media surprisingly highlight Vietnam's national team while dominating Southeast Asia

Indonesian media summarize a year of futsal supremacy in Southeast Asia, mentioning Vietnam's national team as an important highlight.

According to CNN Indonesia, Indonesian futsal has achieved a rare cycle of success in the ASEAN region by winning 3 out of 4 major tournaments held within a year. From the national team level to youth squads, Indonesia has made a strong impression, affirming its current status as the top futsal nation in Southeast Asia.

The beginning of this success streak was Indonesia's national futsal team winning the 2024 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship. The team from the archipelago displayed consistent performance throughout the tournament and convincingly claimed the title in the final by defeating Vietnam's futsal team. This is seen as a crucial stepping stone, marking the start of Indonesia's futsal surge in regional competitions. CNN Indonesia wrote: “In the final of the 2024 AFF Futsal Championship held at Terminal Hall in November 2024, Indonesia defeated Vietnam 2-0 to secure the championship.”

Following the 2024 Southeast Asian futsal title, Indonesian futsal continued to make history at the 2025 SEA Games. At the tournament held in Thailand, Indonesia not only won the gold medal but also achieved something unprecedented: ending the long-standing dominance of the host nation, Thailand. Particularly, the emphatic 6-1 victory over Thailand in the last group stage match was seen as a declaration of Indonesia's futsal strength in the region.

Not stopping at the national team level, Indonesia's youth squads also extended their success. Less than two weeks after winning the SEA Games gold, Indonesia's U16 futsal team triumphed at the 2025 U16 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship after a thrilling final against Thailand. This victory gave Indonesia its third ASEAN-level title within just one year.

However, Indonesia's futsal dominance was not absolute. At the U19 level, the archipelago's youth team failed to complete a "clean sweep" by losing 1-3 to Thailand in the U19 Southeast Asian Futsal final. Nevertheless, with 3 championships and one runner-up finish, Indonesia is still regarded as the most successful futsal nation in Southeast Asia in recent times.

Besides the men's teams, Indonesia's women's futsal also made a mark by winning the silver medal for the first time at the 2025 SEA Games. This represents a significant step forward, demonstrating balanced development of futsal in Indonesia across both men's and women's divisions.