Hanoi, 18 May 2026 – Coach Cristiano Roland expressed great pride after guiding Vietnam U17 to two major achievements in a short period of time — winning the ASEAN U17 Championship 2026 and securing a historic place at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026.
On the afternoon of May 18, the Vietnam U17 team arrived back at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, bringing to an end a memorable AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 campaign that saw them qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup for the first time in history.
Vietnam made a strong impression throughout the continental tournament. The team opened the group stage with a 1-0 win over Yemen U17, followed by a heartbreaking defeat to South Korea U17, before producing a dramatic comeback victory against United Arab Emirates U17 in the final match to secure a quarter-final berth and a coveted World Cup ticket.
Although the team’s journey ended in the quarter-finals after a defeat to Australia U17, Roland and his players still achieved the most important objective Vietnamese youth football had set for this tournament.
Vietnam also became the only Southeast Asian representative to qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026 and one of nine Asian teams to book a place at the world’s biggest youth football event.
Speaking to reporters at Noi Bai Airport, Cristiano Roland said he was extremely proud of his players and coaching staff for accomplishing both major goals within such a short timeframe.
“We completed every target we had set. We had two major objectives in our plan, and both were achieved. I feel extremely proud of what the players accomplished, the coaching staff, and everyone who always stood beside the team and supported us. The truth is that both goals were completed, and all of us are very happy,” the Brazilian coach said.
Roland also admitted he was emotional when reflecting on the team’s journey.
“It required enormous effort. After winning the Southeast Asian tournament, we became mentally stronger. All three group-stage matches at the AFC U17 Asian Cup were extremely difficult and decided by very small details. The players showed incredible determination,” he explained.
Despite the success, the Brazilian coach emphasized that the team still has plenty of work to do ahead of the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026.
“Everything we planned was important, but we understand we still need to do much more. I also need more time with the players. We want to achieve bigger things because Vietnam deserves even greater success. My goal is always to improve every single day,” Roland stressed.
Looking back at the two consecutive Vietnam U17 generations that competed at the AFC U17 Asian Cup, Roland believes the lessons learned from last year’s disappointment helped the current squad mature and finally achieve the dream of qualifying for the World Cup.
“These were two generations we prepared with the World Cup goal in mind. The previous generation was unlucky because of small details, including physical issues. This year, mistakes still happened, but fortunately they came in the second match. By the third game, we corrected them and won the ticket to the World Cup,” he said.
“This is a learning process. The players learned from the mistakes of the previous generation and improved themselves. I’m very proud of them. Now they must continue improving even further as we prepare for the World Cup.”
According to the official schedule, the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026 will take place in Qatar from November 19 to December 13, 2026. The tournament will once again feature 48 teams after FIFA expanded the competition format. Starting from 2025, FIFA also switched the U17 World Cup to an annual tournament instead of being held every two years.
The official group-stage draw for the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to take place on May 21 at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
Following historic milestones at both regional and continental level, Vietnam U17 are now preparing for a promising new chapter on the world stage. Competing at the U17 World Cup is expected to provide valuable experience for the young players as they continue their development and gradually become an important foundation for the future of the Vietnam national team.
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