Vietnamese football dominates Southeast Asia: Thai fans are impressed.
Following their historic hat-trick of titles in 2025, Thai media and fans unanimously acknowledged Vietnam's number one position in Southeast Asian football.
A hat-trick of titles solidifies his position.
The year 2025 has gone down in Vietnamese football history with an unprecedented achievement: sweeping all three regional titles, including the ASEAN Championship, the SEA Games, and the ASEAN U23 Championship. This resounding success is not only a strong affirmation of the strength of the "Golden Star Warriors" but also creates a wave of widespread recognition throughout Southeast Asia, especially from their biggest rival, Thailand.
This absolute dominance has forced the media and fans in the region to reconsider the power map of Southeast Asian football.
Regional media unanimously bowed in admiration.
Not only reputable regional newspapers, but even Thai community pages have had to acknowledge this. The fan page เกรียนบุรีรัมย์v2 frankly called Vietnam the "king of Southeast Asia," emphasizing that this hat-trick of titles is a historic milestone that not many countries have achieved.
This view has been echoed by Indonesian media. The newspaper Bola analyzed that Vietnamese football is steadily and firmly overtaking Thailand for the top spot. The newspaper also praised coach Kim Sang-sik, who is said to have re-established "iron discipline" and ushered in a new "golden age," reminiscent of the successful period under coach Park Hang-seo.
"We have to accept the truth."
Faced with irrefutable evidence, many Thai fans have expressed their acknowledgment, mixed with bitterness. On online forums, it's not difficult to find comments expressing their complete acceptance.
The Lovery Enter account wrote: "Currently, Vietnam is far superior to Thailand, at every level and age group."
A fan named JI JO offered a more in-depth analysis: “That’s right, Vietnam is stronger than us now. They play fast-paced football, tackle aggressively, and have abundant stamina that shows no signs of diminishing. Meanwhile, Thai players only last half a match before running out of energy and lacking desire… We have to accept the reality.”
Some fans even expressed pessimism about the future of Vietnamese football. One notable comment stated: "Almost every Southeast Asian country has developed football, especially Vietnam, which has now surpassed us. And we remain the same... It would be better to use the budget to develop other sports."
These reactions demonstrate that the standing of Vietnamese football is not only reflected in trophies, but is also widely recognized by its regional rivals—a recognition more valuable than any title.
