Nham Manh Dung heads in the only goal for Vietnam in the SEA Games 31 final against Thailand at My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, on 22/5/2022. *Ngoc Thanh*

*Thailand vs. Vietnam: 7:30 PM, Thursday 18/12, on VnExpress*

Vietnam has faced Thailand 28 times since 1997 in U22, U23, or Olympic-level competitions, including matches where Thailand fielded U19 or U21 squads. Vietnam has won 9, drawn 7, and lost 12, scoring 32 goals and conceding 43. A victory against Thailand today at Rajamangala Stadium would mark Vietnam's 10th win against them at this level.

Thailand dominated the initial six encounters between 1999 and 2003, winning all of them. However, Vietnam is currently unbeaten in the last nine meetings, securing 5 wins and 4 draws. Vietnam's most recent loss to Thailand at this level was a 0-3 defeat in the SEA Games 29 group stage in Malaysia on 24/8/2017.

Vietnam has never achieved a victory on Thai soil in an official U23 match. The two teams have met 6 times in Thailand, with the hosts winning 5 of those matches. The sole away victory for Vietnam, which was also the most recent encounter, came in a friendly M-150 Cup match on 15/12/2017, a 2-1 win thanks to a brace from Nguyen Cong Phuong.

How dangerous Thailand is ahead of the SEA Games 33 final

Specifically at the SEA Games since 2001, when men's football became an U23-limited event, Vietnam has played Thailand 9 times. Vietnam has won one, drawn 4, and lost 4 matches, scoring 8 goals and conceding 16. The team's only victory was a 1-0 win in the SEA Games 31 final at My Dinh Stadium, secured by a header from forward Nham Manh Dung.

Including SEA Games before 2001, which involved senior national teams, Vietnam has met Thailand 14 times, recording one win, 5 draws, and 8 losses. They scored 10 goals and conceded 27.

Nguyen Thanh Nhan (right) and Pham Ly Duc celebrate a goal in Vietnam's 2-0 victory over the Philippines in the SEA Games 33 men's football semi-final at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand, on 15/12/2025. *Hieu Luong*

While these statistics indicate Thailand still holds a better head-to-head record against Vietnam at the U23 level, recent results clearly favor the Vietnamese side.

Another statistic favoring coach Kim Sang-sik's team is that the South Korean coach remains undefeated in all finals throughout his coaching career. He previously led Jeonbuk Hyundai to win the Korean Cup 2022, defeating FC Seoul 5-3 over two legs in the final.

With Vietnam, the 49-year-old coach guided the team to the ASEAN Cup 2024 championship, beating Thailand 5-3 over two legs in the 1/2025 final. He also led the team to victory in the U23 Southeast Asia Championship in 7/2025, with a 1-0 win against Indonesia at Bung Karno Stadium.

The SEA Games 33 men's football final will kick off at 7:30 PM at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Both teams boast full-strength squads, with no players injured or suspended.

Xuan Binh