Football

Vietnamese U17 players at a training session on November 2 in Hà Nội. They will compete in the FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar 2026 later this month, with all their matches broadcast live on FPT Play. Photo courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — FPT Play will broadcast all 104 matches of the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar to Vietnamese audiences, allowing local supporters to watch their favourite youth players compete at the highest level for the first time.

The nation's leading multi-platform digital television and entertainment service provider announced their executive broadcasting rights on November 3.

The competition will be held in Doha, Qatar from November 19 to December 13.

This is the second edition of the competition to include 48 countries, featuring nine from AFC, 10 from CAF, eight from Concacaf, seven from CONMEBOL, three from OFC and 11 from UEFA.

It is the first ever World Cup for Việt Nam's U17 players, after the country made it to the top eight at the Asian Championships in May. They are also the only team from Southeast Asia at the World Cup.

Following a recent draw, teams are divided into 12 groups of four. Việt Nam will play Belgium on November 20, New Zealand on November 23 and Mali three days later in Group G.

The two strongest teams in each group and eight best third-placed squads after the group round will advance to the next stage, which will be in a knockout format.

Portugal are the current champions, having claimed their first crown after defeating Austria 1-0 last year, also in Qatar. However, they will not be able to defend their title after failing to qualify for a slot.

The timetable of Việt Nam's matches in the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar. Photo courtesy of FPT Play

With the aim of bringing the tournament to a wide audience, FPT Play will provide full coverage of the tournament across various platforms within Việt Nam – terrestrial, cable, satellite, IPTV, Internet, mobile, public screening and on social media.

"FPT Play's participation in delivering the FIFA U17 World Cup matches to Việt Nam will not only expand the range of platforms available for audiences, but will also serve to further motivate young Vietnamese players as they compete and prove themselves on the international stage," FPT Play said in a statement. — VNS