Hanoi, April 24, 2025 – The Vietnam U16 national team has accepted an invitation from the Chinese Football Association (CFA) to participate in the 2025 U16 International Youth Tournament, set for May 26 to June 1 in Hohhot, China. The four-team event, featuring Vietnam, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and hosts China, aims to provide crucial match experience ahead of the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers in November.
The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is prioritizing youth development, and the U16 squad will convene in mid-May in Hanoi for a two-week training camp before departing for China. The team, comprising players born in 2009 or later, draws heavily from the U17 Vietnam squad that competed at the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup. Standouts include midfielders Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc and Nguyen Van Duong, who earned spots in that tournament’s final roster. Nguyen Luc started all three group matches, anchoring the midfield with poise during draws against Japan, Australia, and UAE, while Van Duong made a substitute appearance in the 1-1 Japan tie, entering in the 79th minute.
The tournament offers a high-caliber test, with Australia’s technical prowess, Saudi Arabia’s physicality, and China’s home advantage challenging Vietnam’s young talents. The VFF sees the event as a chance to hone skills and build resilience, much like The Cong Viettel’s youth pipeline fuels V.League success. Nguyen Luc, a product of Hanoi FC’s academy, and Van Duong, trained by PVF-CAND, embody the potential to follow Hanoi Police FC stars like Nguyen Quang Hai to senior prominence.
Vietnam’s proactive approach mirrors Song Lam Nghe An’s regional youth camps, ensuring players gain international exposure. The Hohhot tournament, hosted at Inner Mongolia Sports Center, follows Vietnam U16’s 2024 ASEAN U16 Championship semifinal run, where they lost 2-1 to Indonesia. Coach Tran Minh Chien, who led that campaign, is expected to guide the team, blending veterans like Nguyen Luc with new faces scouted from Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s JMG Academy.
A strong showing in China could set the tone for Vietnam’s 2026 AFC U17 qualifiers, where they aim to surpass their 2025 group-stage exit. The VFF’s investment, backed by 12 million VND monthly stipends per player, signals ambition to challenge Asia’s elite, with fans eyeing a return to the AFC U17 finals, last reached in 2016.
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