Brazil coach calls up a total of 30 players to the Vietnam national team

Coach Cristiano Roland has called up 30 players to the Vietnam U17 team to get ready for the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifying round.

As part of the plan for the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Vietnam U17 team will regroup on October 5th in Hanoi with 30 selected players.

The core squad chosen by Coach Cristiano still includes those who participated in the training camp last May and competed in the CFA Team China 2025 international tournament, notably striker Nguyễn Văn Dương and midfielder Chu Ngọc Nguyễn Lực – both of whom played in the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia.

Nguyễn Văn Dương is regarded as a promising striker, having won both the Best Player and Top Scorer awards at the 2024 National U15 Championship. Meanwhile, Chu Ngọc Nguyễn Lực is considered a key player for Vietnam U17 at the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup finals and was recently honored as the Best Player of the 2025 National U17 Championship – Thái Sơn Nam Cup. Additionally, goalkeeper Chu Bá Huấn, who earned the Best Goalkeeper award at this tournament, is also included in the call-up list.

According to the plan, the Vietnam U17 team will train at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center before heading to Japan for a training camp starting November 5th. There, the team is expected to play three friendly matches against suitable opponents arranged by the Japan Football Association. On November 16th, Coach Cristiano Roland and his squad will return home to finalize preparations for the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Based on the draw results, Vietnam U17 is placed in Group C alongside Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), Macau (China), and the Northern Mariana Islands. Matches in Group C will be held at two venues: the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center and the PVF Youth Football Training Center from November 22 to 30, 2025.

The 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers feature 38 teams divided into 7 groups (3 groups with 6 teams, 4 groups with 5 teams). The top team from each group will qualify for the finals. Nine teams have direct entry, including host Qatar and the eight quarterfinalists from the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup: Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, North Korea, Tajikistan, Japan, UAE, and Indonesia.