Vietnam's team is the only Southeast Asian squad invited by Australia to participate in a special tournament.

The Vietnam women's U15 team becomes the sole Southeast Asian representative invited by Australia to compete in the youth tournament CommBank Emerging Championships 2026, affirming its prominent position in regional women's football.

Football Australia confirmed that the Vietnam women's U15 team, alongside the Japan Football Association Academy's men's U15 team, will participate in the CommBank Emerging Championships 2026. This follows Malaysia becoming the first international team to feature in the 2025 edition, marking the expansion and elevation of this youth tournament.

Notably, Vietnam is the only representative from Southeast Asia invited to participate this year, alongside Japan's men's team—a leading football nation in the continent. This not only reflects the standing of Vietnam's youth football in the region but also shows recognition from Australian football for its sustainable development process, especially in women's football.

The Vietnam women's U15 team will compete in the CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships, held at the Home of the Matildas (Bundoora) from April 9 to April 15, 2026. The participation of the Vietnamese representative is expected to provide Australia's young female talents the chance to test themselves against one of the region's most successful teams.

Vietnam's women's football is asserting its position with its first appearance at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, reaching the quarter-finals in the most recent Asian Cup, and earning numerous medals at Southeast Asian and SEA Games tournaments. These achievements form a crucial foundation that makes Vietnam the sole choice from the Southeast Asian region to participate in the tournament.

Meanwhile, the JFA Academy's men's U15 team (Japan) will compete in the CommBank Emerging Socceroos Championships at Valentine Sports Park (Glenwood). This academy is renowned for its top-tier training system in Asia, promising to deliver high-quality competition for Australia's young players.

Football Australia's Executive Director of Football, Heather Garriock, shared: “We are delighted to welcome the teams from Vietnam and the JFA Academy to Australia and are eager to see them compete in the CommBank Emerging Championships. Beyond enhancing the professional quality on the field, this participation also strengthens the relationship between Football Australia and its partners, VFF and JFA.”

She emphasized: “Having international teams in the tournament will allow Australia's elite young talents to test themselves against diverse opponent styles, particularly those they may encounter when advancing to national youth teams. More importantly, it also provides coaches opportunities to evaluate potential players for the national team in real match scenarios—thus guiding future selection processes and strategies.”

From a local perspective, New South Wales Minister for Sport, Steve Kamper, stated: “We are thrilled to welcome international young players to Sydney for this year's CommBank Emerging Socceroos Championships. As the nation's football hub, Sydney is the perfect stage for future stars to showcase their talent in a tournament that now has an international scope.”

Vietnam's selection, in the context of only two international representatives participating, further highlights the prominent standing of the country's youth football on the regional map and opens valuable opportunities for exposure at a continental-level competition.