Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has set Vietnam U17 the target of progressing beyond the group stage at the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, a feat that would mark a historic breakthrough for Vietnamese football on the global stage.
VFF Vice President Tran Anh Tu confirmed that reaching the knockout stage will be Vietnam’s primary objective at the tournament. However, the federation also views the World Cup as a valuable opportunity for the country’s young players to gain experience at the highest international level and contribute to the development of future national-team generations.
Vietnam have been drawn in Group C alongside Belgium, New Zealand and Mali.
Cristiano Roland’s side secured Vietnam’s first-ever qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup.
Should Vietnam successfully advance from the group stage, they would become the country’s first 11-a-side national team to reach the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup.
The team will also be looking to achieve another milestone by becoming the first Vietnamese 11-a-side side to score at a FIFA World Cup.
Vietnamese football has previously progressed beyond the World Cup group stage only in futsal. In 11-a-side football, Vietnam U20 competed at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, while the senior women’s national team made their World Cup debut in 2023. Both teams were eliminated in the group stage without scoring.
According to the preparation schedule, Vietnam U17 will begin their training camp on September 20.
The team had initially planned to play friendly matches in Thailand, but those arrangements were cancelled after the organizers moved the event to Spain, leaving Vietnam insufficient time to complete the necessary travel procedures.
Cristiano Roland’s squad are now likely to hold a training camp in West Asia before travelling to Qatar for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, scheduled to take place from November 17 to December 23.
With a place in the knockout rounds set as the target, Vietnam U17 will head into their maiden U17 World Cup campaign with an opportunity to write a new chapter in the country’s football history.
VSN/RPT
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