Hanoi, 28 May 2026 – Vietnam U20 have been handed a difficult group in the qualifiers for the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027, which also serves as the opening stage of qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup 2027.
At 14:00 on May 28, Asian Football Confederation held the official draw ceremony for the tournament qualifiers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vietnam were placed in Pot 2 and also earned the right to host one of the qualifying groups on home soil.
This year’s competition marks a significant change, with the AFC introducing a two-tier format for the first time, consisting of a Qualification Stage and a Development Stage. Based on performances at the 2018, 2023, and 2025 editions, Vietnam U20 were ranked 14th in Asia and placed among the second-seeded teams alongside strong opponents such as Qatar, Indonesia, Syria, Thailand, Yemen, Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan.
In addition to Vietnam, seven other countries — Bahrain, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Qatar, Thailand, and Uzbekistan — will also host qualifying groups.
The draw placed Vietnam U20 in Group C together with Palestine, DPR Korea, and Iran. Despite having home advantage, the group is widely considered one of the toughest in the qualifiers for coach Yutaka Ikeuchi and his players.
Under the competition format, only the eight group winners and the seven best runners-up will qualify for the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027 finals. Meanwhile, the six lowest-ranked teams from the qualifiers will be relegated to the Development Stage for the next edition.
The qualification matches are scheduled to take place from August 31 to September 6, 2026. The tournament also represents the first phase of Asian qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup 2027, where Asia will have 5.5 slots available, including host nation Uzbekistan.
VSN/RP’T
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