After two matches in group A of this year's tournament, Thailand suffered two losses, 0-2 against Tajikistan and then to host nation Saudi Arabia. These results confirm Marco Gockel's squad's elimination from contention for the U17 Asian Cup quarterfinals, thereby losing their direct qualification opportunity for the U17 World Cup 2026.

Thailand still has a narrow path to the U17 World Cup if Qatar reaches the Asian Cup quarterfinals. As the host nation, Qatar automatically qualifies for the U17 World Cup. In that scenario, the best-performing third-placed team in the group stage would secure an additional World Cup spot.

Thai players (in blue) during their loss to Saudi Arabia in the second match of group A at the U17 Asian Cup, held at King Abdullah Sports City Hall, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the evening of 9/5. *Photo: FAT*

However, this possibility is largely theoretical for Thailand. According to regulations, when comparing third-placed teams, results against the last-placed team in the group are not considered. This means even if Thailand defeats Myanmar in their final match to finish third in group A, only their two losses against Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia would be counted, resulting in an unfavorable goal difference of -4.

Following the 0-2 defeat to Saudi Arabia in their second match, coach Marco Gockel conceded that the team's World Cup dream was all but shattered.

"Our dream has truly collapsed," the German coach stated. "The players are very sad, and so is the coaching staff. We wanted to take the team to the U17 World Cup, as it's not just a player's dream, but also the pride of the entire nation. But in the end, we couldn't achieve it."

Coach Gockel defended his players, asserting that Thailand fought with all their ability. "Football is decided by goals. If you score fewer goals, you lose, that's the truth. But the players gave their utmost in the past two matches and deserved a better outcome," he added.

While coach Gockel attributed the professional cause to scoring ability, Thai media highlighted the element of bad luck.

U17 Thailand coach Marco Gockel during the loss to Saudi Arabia on the evening of 9/5. *Photo: FAT*

The Daily News commented that Thailand was "unlucky" to consistently draw into difficult groups in the last two U17 Asian Cups. In 2025, they were grouped with Uzbekistan, who later became champions, and host Saudi Arabia, the runner-up. In this year's tournament, Thailand again faced host Saudi Arabia from the group stage, alongside Tajikistan and Myanmar.

The newspaper also suggested that match developments went against Thailand. In their opening match against Tajikistan, they conceded a goal in the 20th second and another in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time (90+7). Against Saudi Arabia on the evening of 9/5, they again conceded an early goal in the 4th minute and another in the 90+1st minute.

The newspaper observed that continuously conceding early goals disrupted Thailand's tactical plans. In the opening match, the team was also disadvantaged by a red card. Nevertheless, the publication praised the young players for fighting hard and creating opportunities, even if they couldn't convert them.

"We were unlucky," the article concluded. "Hopefully, one day Thai football will have better fortune in continental competitions."

The article also mentioned the U16 Thai generation (born in 2010 or later), who were eliminated from the group stage of the U17 Southeast Asian Championship 2026 in Indonesia. This generation will form the core for the U17 Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.

Thailand's early exit extends their long wait for a U17 World Cup ticket. The last time the nation's youth football team participated in the tournament was in 1999. They have waited 27 years but have yet to return to the world stage, despite FIFA increasing the number of participating teams and raising Asia's allocation to eight spots.

Beyond Thailand, another Southeast Asian representative, Indonesia, also faces peril after two matches, losing 0-2 to Qatar in group B. In the other match, Japan defeated China 2-1 to secure a spot in the Asian quarterfinals and the U17 World Cup. Indonesia must defeat Japan to harbor strong hopes of advancing.

The U17 Asian Cup 2026 is taking place in Saudi Arabia from 5/5 to 22/5, featuring 15 teams after North Korea's withdrawal. The eight quarterfinalists will qualify for the U17 World Cup 2026 in Qatar. If Qatar also reaches the quarterfinals, the remaining spot will go to the best-performing third-placed team in the group stage.

By Hoang An