Vietnamese diaspora player from Spain loses opportunity to create a historic milestone with U19 Vietnam

U19 Vietnam stopped early in the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship finals, which also means that Vietnamese-born player Truong Gia Khoi has no opportunity to appear on the pitch this time.

U19 Vietnam concluded their campaign at the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship in a regrettable manner, simultaneously ending the hopes of overseas Vietnamese player Truong Gia Khoi to play in the national youth team jersey. An unfavorable result in the final match forced coach Yutaka Ikeuchi's squad to exit the tournament from the group stage.

In a decisive match, Australia U19 was unexpectedly held to a 2-2 draw by Cambodia U19, thereby preventing Vietnam U19 from competing for a spot in the next round as the best second-placed team. Although they once had a chance, failing to control their own fate pushed the young Vietnamese team into a bitter elimination.

Notably, this is also the tournament where Truong Gia Khoi – an overseas Vietnamese player under contract with Spanish club Huesca did not log a single minute on the field. Before U19 Vietnam's exit, he was also unused in all three group-stage matches against Timor-Leste, Myanmar, and Indonesia.

According to the coaching staff's assessment, Gia Khoi was registered as a backup for attacking positions, competing with names like Quoc Hoa, Duc Vu, or Duy Khang. Despite having a training background in Europe, this player still struggled to secure a playing spot due to limitations in physical stature and tactical integration.

Although he did not get to play, Truong Gia Khoi still demonstrated professionalism in his daily activities and training with the team. He was noted as a player with a studious attitude, friendly demeanor, and strong efforts to adapt to the competitive environment of U19 Vietnam throughout more than a month of training camp.

As the tournament ends, U19 Vietnam will turn their focus to a more important goal: the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers. With squad adjustments and reinforcements underway, Truong Gia Khoi's chance to return remains open, depending on his own competition and form in the coming period.