Football 

Result of the Asian U17 Football Championship 2026. — Photo the-afc.com

Hà Nội — The road to the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026 will be anything but smooth, as Việt Nam will face strong rivals in their bid to secure a place at the tournament.

The draw for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, a World Cup qualifier, was conducted on February 12 in Saudi Arabia for the 16 teams that advanced from the recent qualifiers.

Việt Nam are in Group C with the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Yemen, with the first two considered major challenges for the Southeast Asian side, as they are among the leading teams in Asia.

The tournament will be held from May 7 to 24, with the quarter-finalists earning Asia’s places at the World Cup in November in Qatar.

Before the Asian finals, Việt Nam produced an impressive qualifying campaign with a perfect record of five wins and 30 goals.

Also on February 12, the draw for 12 teams at the AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup was conducted.

Việt Nam are in Group A with arch-rivals Thailand, Myanmar, and hosts China.

Teams will compete in a round-robin group stage from April 30. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout phase.

The final is scheduled for May 17. The four best teams of the tournament will represent Asia at the World Cup 2026 in October and November in Morocco. — VNS