Vietnam defeat Thailand to win men’s football gold at SEA Games 33

By Thai Ha
Thu, December 18, 2025 | 10:43 pm GMT+7

After conceding two goals in just over 30 minutes, Vietnam reversed the situation to finally beat host nation Thailand 3-2 in the men’s football final of the 33rd SEA Games.

The Vietnam U22 team staged an emotional comeback to defeat Thailand 3-2 after more than 120 minutes of play, winning the gold medal in men's football at the 2025 SEA Games. Photo courtesy of Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper.

The Vietnam U22 team staged an emotional comeback to defeat Thailand 3-2 after more than 120 minutes of play, winning the gold medal in men's football at the 2025 SEA Games. Photo courtesy of Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper.

The final started cautiously from both sides. But in the 20th minute, Yotsakorn made the difference with a superb free-kick to open the scoring. Although goalkeeper Trung Kien managed to get a hand on the ball, he couldn't prevent the goal.

Before they could recover from the shock, the Vietnam U22 defense conceded a second goal. From a sharp counter-attack, captain Seksan skillfully dribbled the ball before unleashing a powerful shot from the right flank, doubling the lead for the "War Elephants".

Entering the second half, Vietnam U22 completely took control of the match. In the 49th minute, Dinh Bac was fouled by the opposing goalkeeper inside the penalty area. From the penalty spot, he reduced the deficit to 1-2, reigniting hope for millions of Vietnamese fans.

Riding on the momentum, Vietnam U22 continued to apply constant pressure on Thailand’s goal. Just 10 minutes later, from a well-executed corner kick by Van Thuan, Ly Duc rose powerfully to challenge, causing confusion in the Thai defense and forcing an own goal.

The 90 minutes of regulation time ended with a 2-2 draw, sending the match into extra time.

Joys after Vietnam scored their second goal. Photo courtesy of Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper.

Joys after Vietnam scored their second goal. Photo courtesy of Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper.

In the 105th minute, Dinh Bac made a strong run down the left flank before delivering a precise pass to Van Thuan. The shot from Vietnam U22’s number 10 could not be securely handled by the Thai goalkeeper, and almost immediately, Thanh Nhan followed up with a clinical finish to give Vietnam a 3-2 lead.

In the remaining minutes, Thailand U22 threw everything forward in search of an equalizer, but Vietnam’s defense protected their lead until the final whistle.

In the end, Vietnam U22 defeated host Thailand, winning the gold medal.

The Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia.

Vietnamese people celebrate the victory on a street. Photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Vietnamese people celebrate the victory on a street. Photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Photo courtesy of Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper.

Photo courtesy of Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper.

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