Bau Duc organizes a high-quality international tournament for youth football.

On April 16 afternoon, a press conference was held in Ho Chi Minh City to announce the Gia Lai International U14 Football Festival 2026 – the tournament will take place in May at Pleiku Stadium and Ham Rong Training Center.

Attending the press conference were Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan – President of the Vietnam Football Federation, Mr. Doan Nguyen Duc – Chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club, Mr. Park Hang-seo – former head coach of the Vietnam national team, currently Vice President of the Korean Football Association; members of the Festival Organizing Committee, and numerous representatives from news agencies and press organizations.

According to the plan, the Gia Lai International U14 Football Festival 2026 will be held from May 11 to 17 at Pleiku Stadium and Ham Rong Training Center. This is one of the prominent activities within the series of events for the National Tourism Year – Gia Lai 2026, contributing to promoting the local image through sports.

The tournament gathers 12 U14 teams from domestic and international clubs. Vietnamese representatives include PVF, Song Lam Nghe An, Hanoi FC, Tuong Tuoi Dong Nai, and the host Hoang Anh Gia Lai. Additionally, invited teams from Asia include Jubilo Iwata (Japan), Gangwon FC and Mohyeon (South Korea), Shenzhen (China), Chonburi FC (Thailand), Kham Say (Laos), and Malaysia.

Teams are divided into 3 groups, playing a single round-robin format; the top two teams from each group along with the two best-performing third-place teams will qualify for the quarter-finals. The competition follows the 11-player format, with a total prize value exceeding $40,000 (equivalent to over 1 billion VND), where the champion receives $20,000.

Speaking at the press conference, Mr. Doan Nguyen Duc – Chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club – stated that although Hoang Anh Gia Lai has participated in professional football since 2001 and focused on youth training since 2007, this is the first time the club organizes an international-scale youth football festival. Mr. Doan Nguyen Duc hopes the tournament will become a regular annual event, providing a high-quality platform for young players, thereby contributing to the development of Vietnamese football.

Currently, preparatory work is being urgently completed by relevant units to ensure the tournament proceeds according to plan, safely and effectively. With the participation of many quality youth teams in the region, the Gia Lai International U14 Football Festival 2026 is expected to deliver exciting, highly professional matches, spreading the spirit of sportsmanship while promoting the image of a dynamic, friendly, and culturally rich Gia Lai. The tournament also opens opportunities for discovering and nurturing young talents, contributing to enhancing the quality of human resources for local and national football.

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