17 teams are competing for berths in the 2026 National U21 Finals.

A total of 17 teams will fight for 11 places in the 2026 National U21 Championship finals during the qualifying round.

The 2026 National U21 Qualifiers officially get underway. involving 17 teams from across the country. The draw for group allocation and match scheduling was conducted online by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) on the morning of June 19, marking a key preparatory step for the top youth competition in Vietnamese football.

This year’s tournament features many traditional training centers and clubs such as Hanoi, Cong An Hanoi, HAGL, SLNA, Thanh Hoa, The Cong Viettel, PVF, and PVF-CAND. Also participating are youth sides from An Giang, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Can Tho, and the Gia Lai Provincial Training and Sports Center. This is seen as an opportunity for young players to showcase their abilities while moving closer to professional football.

According to the draw, the 17 sides are split into four groups. Group A will be held at the Viettel Football Training Center (Hanoi) and includes Hanoi, Hanoi Bulls, PVF, and The Cong Viettel. Group B takes place at the PVF Youth Football Training Center (Hung Yen) and consists of Cong An Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, SLNA, Tre Phu Dong, and PVF-CAND. This group is considered highly competitive as it brings together several high-quality academies.

Meanwhile, Group C is organized at the Thanh Long Sports Center (Ho Chi Minh City) with HAGL, Da Nang, Gia Lai Provincial Training and Sports Center, and Ho Chi Minh City. Group D is hosted in Dong Nai, featuring An Giang, Mekong Can Tho, Tay Ninh, and hosts Dong Nai. Teams will play a round-robin format to determine the best performers advancing to the finals.

Under the regulations, the four group winners, four runners-up, and the three third-placed teams with the best records will earn their spots in the final stage. If the host team for the finals is among the 11 teams with the highest performance after the qualifiers, the remaining berth will be awarded to the next best third-placed team. This rule aims to ensure fairness and enhance competitive quality among the sides.

The 2026 National U21 Qualifiers will run from June 25 to July 5, before the finals kick off from July 12 to July 25. With the participation of leading academies and a generation of promising young players, the tournament is expected to deliver exciting contests and continue to serve as an important launching pad for the future of Vietnamese football.