Identifying the first 5 players called up to Vietnam U17

Five U17 SLNA players have been selected for Vietnam U17 in preparation for the 2025 U17 Asian qualifiers.

The five U17 Sông Lam Nghệ An players, including Phan Đăng Huy, Quán Thành Công, Nguyễn Minh Thủy, Hoàng Minh Lợi, and Trần Ngọc Sơn, have been called up to the Vietnam U17 team to get ready for the 2026 U17 Asian qualifiers.

Although U17 SLNA only reached the quarterfinals of the 2025 U17 Asian Championship, as many as five players from the Nghệ An team were included by coach Cristiano Roland in the preliminary squad preparing for the 2026 U17 Asian qualifiers. This tournament is crucial with the ultimate goal of securing a spot at the 2026 U17 World Cup.

Previously, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conducted the draw for the 2026 U17 Asian qualifiers. According to the results, Vietnam U17 was placed in Group C, alongside familiar opponents Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), Northern Mariana Islands, and Macau (China).

The 2026 U17 Asian qualifiers will follow a new format: 38 teams divided into 7 groups (3 groups with 6 teams, 4 groups with 5 teams). The seven group winners will qualify for the final tournament. Additionally, nine teams receive direct entry, including host Qatar (for the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026) and the eight quarterfinalists of the 2025 U17 Asian Championship: Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, North Korea, Tajikistan, Japan, UAE, and Indonesia.

The qualifiers are scheduled from November 22 to November 30, 2025, while the final tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia in May 2026. The top eight teams from the finals will represent Asia at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026.

To prepare for this important campaign, the Vietnam U17 team will gather at the end of October, selecting core players who performed well in the 2025 national U17 championship. The team is expected to have a training camp in Japan before competing in the qualifiers. Earlier, in June 2025, they participated in an international tournament in China, achieving positive results: a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia, a 2-2 draw with China, and a narrow 1-2 loss to Australia.

Moreover, the Vietnam Football Federation has been granted hosting rights by the AFC for Vietnam U17’s group matches, providing a significant advantage for coach Cristiano Roland and his squad.