Hat Yai youth made history by finishing as runners-up in the “Tsubasa Cup,” bringing recognition to Thailand on the international youth football stage.
On 11 January 2026, the under-12 youth football team from Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, representing Thailand, delivered an impressive performance at the Asian level by finishing as runners-up in the international youth football tournament “Captain Tsubasa Cup” held in Tokyo, Japan. This marks another significant achievement for Thai youth, bringing honor and pride to the country.
This achievement also represents a historic milestone for Thai youth football, as the team from Songkhla became the first foreign team invited to participate in the competition and successfully advanced to the final, securing second place amidst participation from top youth teams across Japan.
The path to the runner-up title for the young Songkhla players was filled with memorable performances. In the group stage, they defeated Musashi FC 1-0 and Katsushika Select 2-0. They then delivered an outstanding performance in the semifinals by beating Japan’s Barça Academy Katsushika 1-0, with the winning penalty scored by Nontaphat Madameen.
Although the Songkhla youth team gave their all in the final, they could not overcome the strength of Malva FC and lost 0-4. Nevertheless, their overall tournament performance earned high praise from the organizers and spectators alike.
A special highlight of this international youth football tournament was the honor of having Yoichi Takahashi, the creator of the legendary football manga “Captain Tsubasa,” serve as the chairman of the opening ceremony and personally present the medals to the Songkhla youth team at the closing ceremony. This was a prestigious and invaluable experience for the Thai youth.
Following the competition, the youth athletes from Songkhla will participate in cultural excursions and visit important sites in Tokyo on 12 January 2026 to enrich their cultural understanding and gain learning experiences beyond the football field before returning to Thailand.
