After more than a decade without reaching the final, Vietnam U19 seems to be under a "curse" at the Southeast Asian tournament?

Vietnam U19 continued to fall short of the regional championship, prolonging a decade-long absence from the final match, turning the U19 Southeast Asia event into the hardest mountain for Vietnam's young footballers to climb.

The fact that Vietnam U19 exited early at the 2026 U19 Southeast Asia Championship extended another forgettable statistic for the nation's youth football. Despite Vietnam's considerable achievements over the past decade, the U19 Southeast Asia tournament remains a "cursed land" that generations of young players have yet to conquer.

In reality, Vietnam's U18 and U19 teams have gone 10 consecutive years without making the final of the U18/U19 Southeast Asia tournament. The last time a Vietnamese youth side reached the final was back in 2015. Since then, across seven editions from 2016 to 2026, Vietnam's U18/U19 teams have only advanced past the group stage twice.

Among the most regrettable misses was the 2016 edition held at home. At that time, Vietnam U19 showcased convincing football, topped Group A, and were considered strong title contenders. However, a 2-5 loss to Australia U19 in the semifinals shattered their championship dream. Coach Hoang Anh Tuan's squad later secured third place with a 4-0 victory over Timor-Leste.

One year later in Myanmar, Vietnam's U18 side endured a bitter scenario. Despite collecting 9 points and boasting a +14 goal difference thanks to crushing wins over Brunei U18 and Philippines U18, the red-shirted team was eliminated after a 1-2 loss to hosts Myanmar in the final group match.

In 2018, in Indonesia, Vietnam U19 once again exited at the group stage. Disappointing draws against Thailand U19 and Singapore U19, along with a 0-1 loss to Indonesia, prevented Coach Hoang Anh Tuan's team from progressing.

In 2019, when the tournament was held at home, fans witnessed a major shock as Vietnam U18 unexpectedly lost 1-2 to Cambodia in the final group match, losing a spot in the semifinals. This result led Coach Hoang Anh Tuan to resign immediately after the tournament.

A rare bright spot came in 2022. Under Coach Dinh The Nam, Vietnam U19 advanced through the group stage undefeated. However, the team surprisingly lost 0-3 to Malaysia in the semifinals. Nevertheless, Nguyen Quoc Viet left his mark by winning the Golden Boot with 5 goals.

Two years later, Vietnam U19 disappointed again, being eliminated from the group stage. The team earned only 4 points from matches against Myanmar U19, Australia U19, and Laos U19, not enough to compete for a best runner-up spot.

Over 20 editions held under the names U18, U19, and U20 Southeast Asia, Vietnam has only won the title once, in 2007. This achievement is clearly more modest than Thailand and Australia (5 titles each), and also behind Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar (2 titles each). Even guest teams like Japan and Iran have as many titles as Vietnam U19.

Nevertheless, fans should not be too pessimistic after the 2026 U19 Southeast Asia Championship. The squad participating in the tournament lacked several notable players such as Gia Bao, Le Phat, and Quang Kiet. The early exit certainly brings regret, but it also provides an opportunity for young players to gain experience for the road ahead.

In late August and early September, the 2027 U20 Asian Cup qualifiers will officially take place. This is a more important goal for the current group of players. After the lessons learned from the Southeast Asian stage, Vietnam U19 still has a chance to regain the trust of fans and aim for a ticket to the continental finals.