FIFA honors Vietnam U22 team after controversy at SEA Games closing ceremony.
While the organizers of the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand sparked controversy by overlooking the victory of the Vietnamese U22 team, FIFA took a meaningful step to honor them globally.
Controversial action by host country Thailand.
On the evening of December 20th, the closing ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games at Rajamangala Stadium concluded amidst mixed reactions. In the video summarizing the entire tournament, the organizing committee of host country Thailand omitted the moment of Vietnam's U22 team's victory in men's football.
This caused great outrage, especially since coach Kim Sang Sik's team's victory was a dramatic 3-2 comeback win against Thailand U22 in the final. Ignoring the home team's defeat and the champions' achievement was seen by many fans as disrespectful and unsportsmanlike.
Furthermore, the video also showed images of the Philippines women's team's victory, a match that had previously caused a stir in the region due to referee decisions, including the disallowance of a legitimate goal by the Vietnam women's team.
Recognition from FIFA
Against this backdrop, the International Football Federation (FIFA) took a completely contrasting approach. On the evening of December 22nd, the official FIFA World Cup fan page posted a series of photos celebrating the Vietnamese U22 team's victory at the SEA Games 33. The post was accompanied by a short but powerful caption: "Emotions remain intact."
This action immediately attracted significant attention from the international football fan community, as a testament to the value of Vietnam U22's championship victory.
Not stopping there, FIFA also dedicated a separate article to honoring Nguyen Dinh Bac, the team's shining star. With the message "Young talent, DB7!", FIFA recognized the talent and outstanding performance of this individual player at the tournament.
The timely and public recognition from the world's most powerful football organization is seen as the clearest answer to the controversies at the closing ceremony. Even if the host organizers may have overlooked it, the victory of the Vietnam U22 team was still recognized and celebrated with great honor on the international stage.
