All 23 players who won the men’s football gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games are included in the Việt Nam U23 squad preparing for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup. Photo vietnamnet.vn

Football

HÀ NỘI Fresh from their gold-medal triumph at the 33rd SEA Games, Việt Nam’s U22 footballers have offered more than a moment of celebration. Their success has reaffirmed the Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF)’s long-held belief that sustained investment in youth training and domestic talent is the foundation for long-term progress on the continental stage.

According to VFF statistics for 2025, a total of seven Vietnamese national football teams are projected to qualify for the finals in continental tournaments: the U23 men’s team, the U17 men’s and women's teams, the women’s national team, the U20 women’s team and the men’s and women's futsal teams.

Previously, only Japanese football had achieved a similar milestone. If the Vietnamese national team qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup finals, it will mark the eighth team participating in a continental tournament. Together, these results highlight the growing depth and breadth of Vietnamese football across multiple levels and disciplines.

The Vietnamese U22 team's gold medal win in men’s football at the 33rd SEA Games represents one of the most significant achievements in Vietnamese football for 2025. This success again underscores the effectiveness of youth training and preparation for major tournaments.

VFF President Trần Quốc Tuấn said: “The preparation process for Vietnamese football has been ongoing for many years, fuelled by great determination. We have upgraded the youth training system and leveraged international partnerships to facilitate training camps in countries with advanced football systems, providing our national teams opportunities to compete against high-quality opponents.

"The VFF has organised approximately 14 international training camps across various levels, enabling all our national teams to compete successfully in the continent's most significant football events. Since 2015, this relentless preparation has cultivated a new generation of players capable of competing on the international stage."

"Regular appearances of the U23 team in Asian competitions mark a significant success for Vietnamese football," he said.

"The VFF will continue investing in youth teams as we prepare for upcoming tournaments, with a particular focus on U20 players, especially given that they will participate in the SEA Games and ASIAD over the next two years."

In the current context, the trend of naturalising players among major football nations in Southeast Asia has made an impact on the overall performance of Vietnamese football. 

According to Tuấn, the VFF is enhancing the national team with naturalised players, but is also focused on maintaining Vietnamese identity and spirit.  

“The integration of naturalised players into the national team must be carefully evaluated to avoid negatively affecting the development of youth football and the domestic system," he said. 

"Some countries that have opted for naturalisation have inadvertently demotivated their young players, significantly impacting domestic football. Vietnamese football must avoid such pitfalls and take appropriate measures."

“To succeed in the long term, we must achieve our immediate objectives," the VFF president noted. 

"Our youth teams are being heavily invested in and are finding success. Many countries invest yet fail -- as seen with Thailand losing its chance to participate in the Women’s Asian Cup and Indonesia’s youth teams being unable to qualify for the U17 Asian Championship finals.

“Investment must be continuous and aligned with the cycles of continental tournaments. With thorough research, we can invest effectively and lay the foundation for the future success of national teams across all levels."

Tuấn added that the VFF's goal is to help the men’s national team qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals. 

"We need to persist, as other countries are also investing heavily and are determined," he said.

In 2026, Vietnamese football has ambitious targets, beginning with the U23 team’s participation in the AFC U23 Asian Cup. The objective is to establish a high-quality pool of players for the national team while building toward long-term ambitions at the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups. VNS