BREAKING: Thailand suffers heavy 1-7 defeat, Vietnam claims runner-up spot.

The 1-7 defeat against Russia in the last game dropped Thailand's futsal team to third place in the final standings of the friendly tournament hosted by Thailand.

On the evening of August 6, Thailand's futsal team played their final match of the Intercontinental Futsal Championship - Thailand 2026 against Russia. at Nonthaburi Gymnasium. This match was considered the tournament's "final" as both teams still had a chance to win the title, while Vietnam's futsal team had already completed their four matches with eight points, temporarily leading the standings.

Before kickoff, Thailand was in second place with seven points from three matches and a goal difference of +11. Russia was right behind with five points and a goal difference of +5. Therefore, a win was mandatory for either team to overtake Vietnam and claim the championship. For Thailand, the pressure was even greater because a loss would drop the host nation to third place.

Playing in front of passionate home fans, Thailand started with determination. However, the gap between the world's 11th-ranked team and Russia, ranked 7th, quickly became evident. Russia controlled the game, applied heavy pressure, and repeatedly punished the hosts' defensive mistakes.

At the final whistle, Russia claimed a dominant 7-1 victory to be crowned champions. After four matches, the European side had the same eight points as Vietnam but finished ahead due to a superior goal difference of +11 compared to +4. Meanwhile, Thailand ended the tournament in third place with seven points, despite having previously held several advantages in the title race.

Notably, Russia won the tournament without playing all four matches fully. In their match against New Zealand, the opponent refused to play, resulting in a 0-5 forfeit. Nevertheless, the overwhelming victory over Thailand in the final round still demonstrated Russia's superior strength and reaffirmed their status as a top contender.

For Vietnam's futsal team, the runner-up finish is a highly encouraging result, especially as the team is undergoing a youth renewal process. Coach Diego Giustozzi's squad went unbeaten in all four matches, drawing 2-2 with Russia, beating New Zealand 4-1, overcoming Afghanistan 2-1, and holding Thailand to a 3-3 draw. Notably, in the final match, Vietnam showed great resilience by scoring three goals in the second half to level the score after trailing 0-3.