Vietnam will face Malaysia 5 times on 5 fronts in 2025
In 2025, Vietnamese football will meet Malaysia at five levels: from the 2026 U17 Asian qualifiers to three matches at the 33rd SEA Games; the men's team is waiting for the AFC's decision to reverse the result of the June 10 match.
Vietnam football will face Malaysia five times in 2025, spanning from the national team to youth teams and futsal. In addition to the busy schedule, the situation could also change significantly at the men's team level if the AFC upholds the disciplinary decision regarding seven naturalized Malaysian players, after FIFA rejected the appeal of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
Men's team: June 10 match and the disciplinary bottleneck that can be reversed
The Vietnamese team lost 0-4 to Malaysia on June 10 in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, according to FIFA's records, FAM and seven players involved were found to have violated Article 22 of the Disciplinary Code. FIFA has rejected FAM's appeal. If the AFC makes a final decision to uphold the disciplinary decision, Malaysia will likely be awarded a 0-3 loss, thereby helping the Vietnamese team receive a favorable result in the group stage.
Malaysia still have to complete their remaining matches, but the high risk of being penalized will affect their hopes of progressing. The rematch with Vietnam in March 2026 is therefore predicted to have special significance in terms of honor and regional status.
SEA Games 33: three encounters in just 12 days
In December 2025, Vietnam and Malaysia will meet three times at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, including men's football, women's football and men's futsal.
U22 men: decisive match for top spot in Group B (December 11)
U22 Vietnam is in Group B with Malaysia and Laos. The match between U22 Vietnam and U22 Malaysia on December 11 is considered the match that will decide the top spot, thereby directly affecting the path in the knockout round.
Women's team: starting the group of death (December 5)
The Vietnamese women's team will face Malaysia on December 5, in a group that also includes Myanmar and the Philippines. The high level of competition right from the group stage forces both teams to optimize their early scores to gain an advantage.
Men's Futsal: the key to the gold medal race (December 16)
The 33rd SEA Games men’s futsal tournament will have only five teams and will play a round robin format. The Vietnam-Malaysia match on December 16 is likely to be a crucial “drop point” for both sides’ ambitions to win the gold medal.
U17 Asia 2026: gateway to the finals and a test of mettle (November 30)
The fate continues at the youth level when U17 Vietnam meets U17 Malaysia in the 2026 AFC U17 Championship qualifiers on November 30 at the PVF Youth Football Training Center. This is a match that could decide the ticket to the continental finals.
Coach Cristiano Roland and his team are training in Japan to complete the squad before returning for the crucial match.
Notable numbers
- 5 Vietnam - Malaysia confrontations in 2025, across all levels.
- November 30: U17 Vietnam - U17 Malaysia at PVF (2026 U17 Asian qualifiers).
- December 5: Vietnam women's team - Malaysia women's team (SEA Games 33 group stage).
- December 11: U22 Vietnam - U22 Malaysia (SEA Games 33 group stage).
- December 16: Vietnam Men's Futsal - Malaysia Men's Futsal (SEA Games 33 round).
- Match 10/6 Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers: 0-4 result could be reversed to 0-3 according to Malaysia's loss decision if AFC upholds the discipline after FIFA rejects FAM's appeal.
Professional impact and regional position
The high density of confrontations reflects the direct competition between the two football backgrounds. For the men's team, disciplinary decisions can change the situation of the group stage. At the 33rd SEA Games, having to meet each other in men's, women's and futsal football shows the interweaving of goals between immediate achievements and real capacity positioning in the region. The U17 match at PVF is a long-term test for the quality of youth training.
From the national team to the U17, each meeting has a meaning beyond a single match: it is to verify progress, maintain courage in key matches and affirm the position of Vietnamese football against a fateful opponent.