Vietnamese football dominates the region across most age groups, except for one particular generation.

The 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship concludes the nearly perfect picture of Vietnamese football at the regional level. From the Vietnam U17 team, U23 to the National Team, the "Golden Star Warriors" are demonstrating a clear dominant position in Southeast Asia. However...

Vietnam U17 dominates the region, like the U23 and National Team, but there is one unlucky generation.

A convincing 3-0 victory over Malaysia U17 in the final match helped Vietnam U17 claim the title with an unbeaten record. This is considered the final piece completing the chain of titles spanning the 2024–2026 period, where Vietnamese football nearly controls every major competition in the region.

At the highest level, the Vietnam National Team affirmed its top position by winning the AFF Cup 2024 (held early in 2025). Under the guidance of coach Kim Sang Sik, the team overcame Thailand in the final to win the Southeast Asian championship for the third time. This success builds on the foundation from previous generations, while showing clear stability and continuity in the national football system.

Not only the national team, the Vietnam U23 squad also maintains impressive strength. Three consecutive Southeast Asian U23 Championship titles in 2022, 2023, and 2025 demonstrate the superiority of Vietnamese youth football compared to regional opponents. Additionally, at the SEA Games, Vietnam U23 also won 3 gold medals in the last 4 editions (2019, 2021, 2025), showing depth in the squad and sustainable continuity.

At a younger level, the championship of Vietnam U17 continues to extend the success streak, while affirming that youth training is on the right track. Centers like PVF, HAGL, Hanoi, or SLNA have been providing quality player resources, helping the national teams maintain long-term stability.

However, amidst that brilliant picture, Vietnam U19 is a rare exception. The only time this team ascended to the Southeast Asian championship throne was in 2007. Since then, despite many highly-rated generations, Vietnam U19 has continuously missed out on the title.

Most notably is the period 2011–2015, when Vietnam U19 reached the final of the Southeast Asian U19 Championship four times but failed each time. This was also the period when a talented generation of players emerged, who earned a ticket to the 2017 U20 World Cup – a historic achievement for Vietnamese football. Despite possessing many standout names and creating a strong impression both professionally and in image, this generation still could not claim the crown once at the regional stage.

The "lack of luck" of U19 partly shows the specific characteristics of each stage of player development. At this age group, psychological factors, stability, and competitive maturity are not fully developed, causing the team to often falter at decisive moments. Simultaneously, this is also an important transitional period, where long-term goals (aiming for the U20 World Cup or the national team) are sometimes prioritized over short-term achievements.

Nevertheless, overall, Vietnamese football is still on the right track. Dominating Southeast Asia across multiple levels shows that the training system and development strategy have proven effective. And perhaps, in the near future, the "missing piece" named U19 will also be completed, making the success picture of Vietnamese football more complete.