AFC delivers important news, U17 Vietnam is ready to compete for a spot in the 2026 World Cup

Both the U17 male and female teams of Vietnam are placed in the third seed group ahead of the group draw ceremony for the 2026 U17 Asian Championship finals.

On February 12, the group draw ceremony for the 2026 U17 Asian Championship will be held at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The tournament will feature 16 teams including Saudi Arabia, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Myanmar, Japan, Qatar, Tajikistan, Thailand, North Korea, China, UAE, Australia, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

According to the latest announcement from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Vietnam U17 team is in the third seed group along with Thailand, China, and India. This means Coach Roland’s squad will not face any of these three teams in the group stage.

Meanwhile, the first seed group includes the host Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, and Uzbekistan. The second seed group consists of Tajikistan, Australia, Yemen, and Indonesia. The last seed group has North Korea, UAE, Qatar, and Myanmar. The seedings are based on the results of the last three tournaments: 2018, 2023, and 2025.

During the qualifiers, the Vietnam U17 team, led by Coach Cristiano Roland, impressed by winning all 5 matches, scoring 29 goals and conceding none.

The most remarkable highlight was the commanding 4-0 victory over Malaysia in the final match. Although a draw would have been enough to advance, U17 Vietnam secured a decisive win to demonstrate their strength. This generation of players is highly anticipated to be the future of Vietnamese football.

The 2026 U17 Asian Championship finals will take place from May 7 to 24, 2026, in Saudi Arabia. The 16 teams will be divided into 4 groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals and also earn a ticket to the 2026 U17 World Cup in Qatar. This represents a great opportunity for Vietnamese youth football to step beyond the continent and compete in the world’s biggest tournament.

Besides the men's tournament, in the 2026 U17 women's Asian Championship finals, the Vietnam U17 women's team is also in the third seed group along with the Philippines and India.