6 out of 11 players in the best XI, U23 Vietnam dominates the Southeast Asian Championship

U23 Philippines, eliminated in the semifinals, contributed three representatives: goalkeeper Nico Guimaraes, right-back Noah Leddel, and midfielder John Lucero.

Meanwhile, U23 Thailand did not have any players included in the best XI of the Southeast Asian U23 youth tournament.

The U23 Vietnam team became the first men's football team to win the U23 Southeast Asian Championship three times in a row, after defeating U23 Indonesia in the final on the evening of July 29.

The 1-0 win at Bung Karno Stadium allowed U23 Vietnam to complete a hat-trick of championships in 2022, 2023, and 2025. After five editions, Vietnam has secured more titles than all other teams combined.

Vietnam also became the first football nation in Southeast Asia to win three consecutive titles in a regional men's tournament. In other competitions like the U16, U19 Southeast Asian Championships or the ASEAN Cup (formerly Tiger Cup and AFF Cup), the record stands at two consecutive wins.

The 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship title also made coach Kim Sang-sik the first to win both the U23 Southeast Asian Championship and the ASEAN Cup.

In both finals that he has coached the Vietnam team, coach Kim Sang-sik has remained undefeated. His next aim is to achieve a hat-trick of titles at the 33rd SEA Games in December 2025.