Russia vs Thailand

The Mỹ Đình National Stadium forms the backdrop for a friendly clash between Russia and Thailand.

Russia picked up where they left off in July when they hammered Belarus 4-0, beating Vietnam 3-0 in a friendly game during the week to extend their winning run to four matches. Despite being banned from international football due to the Ukrainian war, Valery Karpin’s men continue to dominate, netting 19 unanswered goals across their last four outings. Delivering action from the get-go, Russia opened the scoring within 25 minutes in all four fixtures, while three saw them score at least two first-half goals. Another flying start would likely set the tone for another comprehensive victory as they take on Thailand for the first time amid a seven-match unbeaten run (W5, D2).

Meanwhile, Thailand failed to reach the third stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifying in Asia, finishing third to China in Group C on goal difference alone. The War Elephant thumped Singapore 3-1 in their last World Cup qualifier in June, yet it wasn’t enough to fire them past the Chinese in the standings. The victory at least ended their disappointing six-game winless streak (D4, L2). Interestingly, Thailand netted as many goals in that win against Singapore as in their six previous outings combined, testifying to the team’s immense scoring problems. They’ve been particularly sloppy in foreign lands, averaging just 0.5 goals per game on their last six travels (D4, L2).