Vietnam U17 team finalizes schedule to Saudi Arabia for World Cup qualification

After winning the 2026 Southeast Asia U17 Championship, Vietnam U17 will promptly start readying for the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup Finals.

Vietnam U17 demonstrated dominant strength by defeating Malaysia U17 3-0 in the final on April 24th, thereby setting a historic milestone as the first Southeast Asian U17 team to claim the regional top title for the fourth time.

With this achievement, Vietnam U17 officially enters history as the most accomplished team in the tournament, surpassing Thailand and Australia (each with three championships). Not only winning the championship, Vietnam U17 also earned recognition in important individual awards. Midfielder Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc was awarded the Best Player of the tournament, while goalkeeper Ly Xuan Hoa received the Best Goalkeeper award.

The national U17 men's football team, consisting of 39 members, returned home on April 26th, scheduled to land at 18:15 at the international terminal of Noi Bai Airport. The team will maintain training at the VFF preparing for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Finals 2026 until May 3rd, when they will depart for Saudi Arabia.

In the group stage, Vietnam U17 will successively face Yemen, South Korea, and UAE. The goal for Coach Roland's team is undoubtedly to secure one of the top two positions in the group to qualify for the quarter-finals, which also means obtaining a ticket to the 2026 U17 World Cup Finals.

Looking ahead to the next stage, Coach Cristiano Roland affirmed that the primary focus of Vietnam U17 is the AFC U17 Asian Cup Finals 2026 – a competition with significantly higher competitiveness. "We believe in the potential of this group. The whole team will continue to strive to prepare optimally for the upcoming tournament," Coach Cristiano Roland emphasized, while thanking the fans for their constant support and stating that "this victory is for the supporters of Vietnamese football."

After the match, representing the Standing Committee of the Executive Board, Chairman Tran Quoc Tuan congratulated the entire team, acknowledging the excellent performance of the players. Chairman Tran Quoc Tuan also stressed that the team must continue maintaining their form, focusing on the best preparation for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Finals 2026, scheduled to take place in early May.

After the championship, Vietnam U17 returns home and aims for the 'Asian dream'

Vietnam U17 was unmatched in the Southeast Asian tournament for this reason