Việt Nam's U17 team have been placed in Pot 1 for the draw, alongside Australia, Yemen, Iran, Oman, Thailand and China. — Photo courtesy of the VFF

HÀ NỘI — The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced that Việt Nam will be one of seven host nations for the qualifiers of the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup. The other host countries include Bhutan, China, India, Jordan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Myanmar.

The qualifiers are scheduled to take place from November 22 to 30, featuring 38 national teams divided into seven groups: three groups of six teams and four groups of five. The winners of each group will advance to the final tournament.

Việt Nam's U17 team have been placed in Pot 1 for the draw, alongside Australia, Yemen, Iran, Oman, Thailand and China. The official draw will take place on August 7 at the AFC headquarters in Malaysia.

In the recent 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup finals, Việt Nam were drawn into Group B with Japan, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. Despite facing strong competition, coach Nguyễn Quốc Tuấn’s team finished the group stage unbeaten, recording three consecutive 1-1 draws. However, they narrowly missed qualifying for the quarter-finals due to the goal differential and overall points. —VNS