Hanoi, 6 August 2026 – VPF conducted the draw for the 2026/27 Vietnam National Cup on the afternoon of August 6. This season’s competition will feature 27 teams, including 14 clubs from V.League 1 and 13 from the First Division.
Under the tournament regulations, defending champions Ho Chi Minh City Police FC and last season’s runners-up Ninh Binh have been placed among the seeded teams and will receive byes from the preliminary round. The two clubs were drawn into separate halves, A and B, meaning they can only meet in the final.
Nam Dinh and The Cong Viettel, who shared third place in the 2025/26 National Cup, have also been granted direct entry into the next round. The Cong Viettel are additionally representing Vietnam in an AFC club competition during the 2026/27 season.
Hanoi Police FC will also skip the preliminary round due to their participation in AFC club tournaments and the 2026/27 ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup.
According to the draw, title contenders Hanoi Police FC have been placed in a relatively favourable half, with several less challenging opponents standing in their way. The first major test for Alexandre Polking’s side may come in the semifinals, where they could face defending champions Ho Chi Minh City Police FC or The Cong Viettel.
In the other half of the bracket, Hanoi FC will begin their campaign against Da Nang in the preliminary round. Should they progress, potential opponents in the following stage include Hai Phong or Quang Ninh.
However, the route to the final is expected to become much more difficult later in the competition, with Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh among the strongest possible opponents in Hanoi FC’s half of the draw.
According to the provisional schedule announced by the organizers, the preliminary-round matches of the 2026/27 Vietnam National Cup are expected to take place in mid-September 2026.
VSN/RPT
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