Football 

VFF conducts a draw for the National U16 Football Championship 2026 on August 13 in Hà Nội. Photos courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — The first ever National U16 Football Championship will take place this month, offering young players more opportunities to sharpen their skills.

In Hà Nội on August 13, the Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF) launched its new tournament which is also known as the Trường Tươi Cup 2026,

Ten clubs will compete in the first season from August 22 to November 29 in two groups and each club can register one naturalised player and one player of Vietnamese descent.

Group A gathers features six teams – Hà Nội Police, Thể Công-Viettel, Hà Nội, PVF-CAND, Sông Lam Nghệ An and Hải Phòng while Group B includes Ninh Bình, LPBank Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, HCM City Police and Becamex HCM City.

In the round-robin format, teams in Group A will play two legs, while those in Group B will play three. Top four teams will qualify for the round-robin final round which is scheduled in December. The team with highest points will lift the championship trophy.

Representatives of VFF and Trường Tươi Group after the signing sponsorship deal for the National U16 Football Championship 2026.

Speaking at the launch, VFF General Secretary Nguyễn Văn Phú said that youth football development remained a cornerstone of the strategy to advance Vietnamese football.

He hoped that this new competition would provide an environment for young players to compete, gain valuable experience, hone their skills and steadily mature.

Trường Tươi Group representative Lê Văn Bình said being the tournament's main sponsor for three years was a meaningful milestone for the group, marking their involvement in supporting national youth football in particular and sport in general.

He said youth football was a basic for every football community. Sponsoring the U16 championship showed Trường Tươi's commitment to the development of football, creating opportunities for young players to play and mature.

He expected that the partnership would help to build a professional, fair and competitive foundation for the U16s to progress and join the national teams in the near future. — VNS