Summary of results from Matchweek 15 of the MEA Futsal Thai League 2026.
The 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The organizing committee for the 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Saudi Arabia has announced the 12 national teams that have qualified for the men's futsal competition. As expected, the Thai men's futsal team, ranked 11th in the world, is included, aiming for their first-ever gold medal.
For the 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the host nation will select teams based on the FIFA Futsal World Ranking, announced on May 8, 2026. Saudi Arabia, as the host nation, will automatically qualify for the competition.
Kazakhstan, a member of UEFA but also a member of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), is eligible to participate in the 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, as this event is organized by the OCA and not under the supervision of the AFC. Alternatively, Kazakhstan may choose not to send a team to the competition.
The list of 12 nations participating in the men's futsal event at the "Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games 2026" includes:
"Host" Saudi Arabia๐ธ๐ฆ *Ranked 41st in the world.
Iran *ranks 5th in the world.
Kazakhstan *Ranked 8th in the world.
Thailand *ranks 11th in the world.
Japan *Ranked 12th in the world.
Indonesia *Ranked 14th in the world.
Afghanistan *Ranked 21st in the world.
Vietnam *Ranked 22nd in the world.
Uzbekistan *ranked 23rd in the world.
Iraq *ranked 24th in the world.
Kuwait *Ranked 43rd in the world.
Kyrgyzstan *Ranked 49th in the world.
The reserve teams are Tajikistan (53), Turkmenistan (69), South Korea (70), Lebanon (72), Myanmar (73) and Bahrain (75), which will be in the reserve order for this competition.
The 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games are scheduled to be held.
In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between December 11-21, 2026.
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"Anthonie Hasun" gave an interview after the second match of the 2026 ASEAN Cup semi-final round.
Anthonie Hasun, head coach of the Thai national football team, gave an interview after the second match of the 2026 ASEAN Cup semi-final round.
In that game, the Thai national team lost to Singapore 1-2, but the final score was 4-3, and they advanced to the final.
"First of all, I'm proud that the players were able to take the team to the final, achieving the goal. This team has a mix of young and senior players, and I'm proud of everyone. However, the result was disappointing. I think we could have done better, especially with the golden opportunity to equalize many times." Hasun said.
"For the final match, we have 3 days left. We have more time than the other team in the final. We will try to watch the team's performance today and try to correct the mistakes. There are some issues with the overall game that are off the mark in the first half, where the players were tired and had to substitute quite a few players due to cramps. But we have enough time for the final match. We have to admit that Singapore is strong. They faced Vietnam and Indonesia, and they created problems. Playing against them twice is a tough game. I'm not worried about preparing the team after this."
The style of play is always questioned, and the content in the game is not elaborated. However, the two games we have faced must be played within 3 days, not including travel time. There are new players who need to face teams that perform well in the group stage. The physical condition of each player cannot match the planned playing style. If the results do not go as planned, there will always be questions. This is the expectation of every fan. When we win a certain score, but in the end, we make it to the final. We have to play every 3 days during the pre-season, which is the pre-season period when we need to prepare our bodies. But we have to play continuously, so it's very difficult to create the football we want. I understand that setting expectations is normal. In the camp, people say that this team is heavily criticized. The players in the team probably won't go far, but we still make it to the final. I'm proud of every player, and we make it to the semifinals. I'm also proud that the seniors help us reach the final. Preparing the team every 2-3 days is also very proud.
The most important thing in the final round of the game is that we have more time than one opponent per day to prepare the team before the final round, which is a big difference. Many people may not understand the context that this competition is in the preseason and will face a strong opponent. On the first day when the athletes arrive, some have only been training with the club for a few days. Now, the athletes need to recover their bodies to play the first game of the final round to the fullest, which is what we want to do, and we need to prepare the plan. This game is an example of fatigue. The most important thing now is the preseason. Even if the athletes are not in good physical condition, we can still achieve our goals. There may be questions, but we can make it to the final round.
The tactics prepared to face both matches against Singapore are not different in the same way. The difference is that the development of the athletes and the Singaporean national team has been good. They have been good since the Asian Cup, where they made it to the final. The two matches we have to face, including Singapore, have also had good performances in the group stage. I think Singapore has now changed. We must give credit to Kevin Lee for his great performance and for having fans coming to cheer and support. I believe Singapore is now on a good path and will become even stronger in the future.
The next match for the Thai national team will be the 2026 ASEAN Cup final, the first match against the winner between Vietnam or Malaysia at the King Mongkut Sports Stadium on August 22, 2026, at 20:00.
4 NATURALISED JDT PLAYERS TO BE REGISTERED AS LOCAL PLAYERS
Following the arrival of Gabriel Palmero, four Malaysia-naturalised players at JDT can be registered as local players in Liga Malaysia under the country's current nationality regulations.
The situation has sparked debate within Malaysian football, with some fans arguing that the rule could give JDT a significant advantage over other clubs, particularly amid ongoing controversy surrounding the players' eligibility documentation.
JDT's four naturalised Malaysian players:
๐ช๐ธ Jon Irazรกbal
๐ช๐ธ Gabriel Palmero
๐ณ๐ฑ Hector Hevel
๐ง๐ท Joรฃo Figueiredo
All four are now Malaysian citizens. However, citizenship and eligibility to represent the national team are separate matters. If they do not meet FIFA's ancestry-related eligibility requirements, they would need to satisfy the five-year continuous residency requirement in Malaysia before becoming eligible to represent the national team.
Meanwhile, Liga Malaysia currently allows up to seven foreign players on the pitch at the same time.
JDT's naturalised-player strategy is therefore set to remain one of the biggest talking points ahead of the new season.
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