Even before the SEA Games final, Vietnam has already prepared for the Asian tournament.

Before the 2026 AFC U23 Championship final stage, the Vietnam U23 squad welcomed encouraging news regarding international collaboration.

During the ongoing meetings of FIFA’s functional committees in Doha, the President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), Trần Quốc Tuấn, met and exchanged views with leaders of the Qatar Football Association (QFA).

At the working session, the Qatar Football Association leadership congratulated Vietnam on the positive achievements football has made recently, especially highlighting that as many as seven national teams earned spots in the Asian final rounds for 2025–2026, marking an impressive milestone reflecting the comprehensive and sustainable development of Vietnamese football.

Following the Memorandum of Understanding on football development cooperation signed between VFF and QFA in May 2023, both parties agreed to continue implementing practical collaboration measures. Accordingly, QFA will host the Vietnam U23 team for training in Qatar before they participate in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship final, which is expected to take place in January 2026 in Saudi Arabia. During the training camp, the Vietnam U23 team will be arranged to play at least one quality friendly match against a suitable opponent.

The international training and match program in Qatar is expected to help the Vietnam U23 team to prepare comprehensively in terms of skills, fitness, and mentality, thereby being ready to aim for success at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship final.