The 2026 Asian Futsal Championship in Indonesia has now concluded.
There was no upset for the championship title; the Iranian national team remains the dominant futsal power in Asia, winning for the 14th time.
However, what everyone talked about more was the spectacular and eye-catching performance of the host nation, Indonesia.
They have developed at a rapid pace!
They even advanced to the Asian Cup final for the first time in history.
Their sensational run shook the futsal world by defeating Japan, a four-time Asian champion, in the semifinals.
But that was not all; they also challenged the giant Iran fiercely in the final match.
They nearly secured victory both in regular time and extra time before the intense 5-5 draw.
The championship had to be decided by a penalty shootout, where the Garuda futsal team ultimately lost.
Still, they gave the Iranian players a tough time, leaving them gasping for breath.
Seeing Indonesia’s players explode in form during this tournament, one should stop thinking their success was a fluke or just luck.
Their unexpected gold medal win at the SEA Games on our home soil was no coincidence.
Their 6-1 thrashing of Thailand in the final match showed the exceptional level of this Javanese futsal squad.
This team, under the leadership of Spanish head coach Hector Suto, a former staff coach to Miguel Rodrigo, has proven to be extraordinary.
They began their rise by winning the ASEAN Championship in late 2024 in Korat.
At that time, Thailand was still complacent, thinking the War Elephants futsal team was in transition from older to newer players.
They did not field their strongest squad fully, so a loss was considered understandable.
However, a year later, when Thailand sent its full-strength team, well-prepared to reclaim the SEA Games title,
the result was a defeat to Indonesia again in the gold medal match.
Moreover, it was a heavy defeat on home soil.
Indonesia then reinforced their status with a masterpiece performance to claim the fresh runner-up position at the Asian Championship, as we have witnessed.
This raises the question: are we still the top futsal team in the ASEAN region?
Perhaps the current world rankings do not accurately reflect the true form on the field.
This is because FIFA still relies on past statistics and results for evaluations.
Some believe Thailand's futsal team standard has not declined severely,
but this generation’s squad is developing more slowly compared to their predecessors.
Especially compared to the golden era trio of “Thep Arm” Suphawut Thueanklang, “Captain Chang” Krisada Wongkaeo, and “Ners” Jirawat Sornwichian,
when Thailand was never afraid of any ASEAN opponent and could truly compete with all Asian rivals.
Now, only “Jao Met” Muhammad Usman Musa stands out as an international-level superstar.
Expecting him to carry the entire national team in every match and tournament is unrealistic.
Therefore, the key challenge for Thai futsal management, led by "Big Pom" Adisak Benjasiriwan,
is how to plan and upgrade the War Elephants futsal team to regain their status among Asia’s elite, as in the past.
Especially with the important upcoming task of hosting the "AFF Futsal Championship 2026"
from 5–12 April 2026 GMT+7 at Nonthaburi Stadium.
We can no longer treat this tournament as just a chance to gain experience like before.
Given that countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, and the latest Asian runner-up Indonesia—all with World Cup experience—are competing for the top spot,
we must create a turning point to quickly restore faith in the Thai futsal team.
Before the 2028 Futsal World Cup qualifiers in two years,
we must reclaim the ASEAN championship title from Indonesia.
That is a must!
- Bee Bangpakong -