Kuala Lumpur, 7 August, 2025 – Vietnam’s U17 national team has been handed a favorable draw and will enjoy home advantage for the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, opening the door to a potential historic qualification for the FIFA U17 World Cup.
On the afternoon of August 7, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held the official draw for the qualifying stage. Vietnam was placed in Group C alongside familiar regional opponents Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), the Northern Mariana Islands, and Macau (China).
The qualifiers for the 2026 edition will follow a new format. A total of 38 teams have been divided into 7 groups — three groups with six teams and four groups with five teams. Only the top team from each group will earn direct qualification to the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026.
Additionally, 9 teams have already secured automatic qualification: host nation Qatar (which will also host the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup) and the eight quarterfinalists from the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup — Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, North Korea, Tajikistan, Japan, UAE, and Indonesia.
The qualifying matches are scheduled to take place from November 22 to November 30, 2025, while the final tournament will be hosted in Saudi Arabia in May 2026. The top 8 teams from the final tournament will represent Asia at the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup.
To prepare for this important campaign, the Vietnam U17 team is expected to begin training in late October, with the core squad selected based on standout performances at the 2025 National U17 Championship. The team is also planning an overseas training camp in Japan prior to the qualifiers.
Earlier in June 2025, the U17 team delivered an impressive performance at an international tournament in China, defeating Saudi Arabia 2-1, drawing with hosts China 2-2, and narrowly losing 1-2 to Australia — strong signs of progress under coach Cristiano Roland.
Adding to their advantage, Vietnam has been granted the right to host their group in the qualifiers, as confirmed by the AFC. This provides the young Vietnamese side with significant momentum, as playing on home soil offers both logistical ease and passionate fan support.
With thorough preparations, international experience, and home advantage, Vietnam U17 is setting its sights on reaching the AFC U17 Asian Cup finals — and beyond that, a historic ticket to the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026.
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