Football

Việt Nam are placed in Group C for the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers Photo courtesy of VFF

 HÀ NỘI Việt Nam’s U17 national team will face familiar regional rivals in Group C of the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers, alongside Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), the Northern Mariana Islands, and Macau (China).

The revamped tournament format sees 38 teams divided into seven groups, including three with six teams and four with five.

Group winners will progress to the finals, joining nine sides with automatic berths, namely Qatar (host of the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026) and the eight quarter-finalists from the 2025 edition – Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, North Korea, Tajikistan, Japan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Indonesia.

Qualifying matches are scheduled from November 22-30, with the finals set for May 2026 in Saudi Arabia. The top eight teams from the finals will represent Asia at the FIFA U17 World Cup.

To gear up, the Vietnamese team will gather in late October, with the core squad drawn from standout performers in the 2025 national U17 championship.

The team plan a training camp in Japan before the qualifiers.

In June, the young side impressed at an invitational tournament in China, beating Saudi Arabia 2-1, drawing 2-2 with hosts China, and narrowly losing 1-2 to Australia.

Adding to their advantage, the Vietnam Football Federation has secured hosting rights for Group C, giving coach Cristiano Roland’s side home support in their push for a finals berth and a shot at the 2026 World Cup. VNA/VNS