Cambodia unexpectedly withdraws from the Southeast Asian Championship; will Vietnam's team be affected?

The Cambodian futsal team has decided to withdraw from the 2026 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship hosted by Thailand.

According to new information from Siam Sport, the Cambodian futsal team has decided to withdraw from the 2026 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship hosted by Thailand from April 5-13, 2026. This reduces the number of participating teams from nine to eight and forces the organizers to rearrange the entire group stage schedule.

Previously, the group draw ceremony was held on March 1, 2026 with nine teams participating: host Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Timor‑Leste, Cambodia, and Brunei. According to the initial plan, the tournament was divided into two groups, with Group A having four teams and Group B having five teams.

However, after the draw ceremony concluded, the Cambodian futsal team decided to withdraw. This forced the organizers to adjust the format, with each group now consisting of four teams to ensure balance in the group stage.

According to the new group draw results, Group A will consist of Thailand (host), Vietnam, Myanmar, and Timor‑Leste. Meanwhile, in Group B, Indonesia will compete against Australia, Malaysia, and Brunei. In reality, the teams in both groups have hardly changed compared to the initial results.

In the group stage, teams will play in a single round-robin format to earn points. The top two teams from each group qualify for the semifinals. The winning teams in the semifinals will meet in the final to determine the champion.

According to the plan, the 2026 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship will take place from April 5 to 13, 2026 at the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization Stadium. The match schedule will be adjusted and announced as soon as possible. In the most recent tournament, Indonesia was crowned champion, Vietnam secured runner-up, while host Thailand only achieved third place.