AFC sets draw, U20 women's Vietnam may meet Thailand
The draw for the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Championship will take place at 1:00 p.m. on November 10 in Thailand. Vietnam's U20 women's team is seeded in group 3, likely to be in the same group as host Thailand's U20 team.
The possibility of a Southeast Asian confrontation right from the group stage is completely present: according to the announcement of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Vietnam U20 women's team is in the third seed group and can be drawn in the same group with the host U20 Thailand (group 1) at the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Championship. The draw will take place at 1:00 p.m. on November 10 in Thailand.
Draw schedule and competition format
The 2026 AFC U20 Women's Championship will feature 12 teams, divided into three groups of four teams each. The group winners, runners-up and the two best third-placed teams will advance to the knockout stage, which will take place from April 1-18, 2026. The four semi-finalists will represent Asia at the 2026 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in Poland, which will take place from September 5-27, 2026.
Seed grouping according to AFC announcement
| Group | Team | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Thailand (host) | DPRK (reigning champion) | Japan (reigning runner-up) |
| Group 2 | Australia | Korea | China |
| Group 3 | Vietnam | Chinese Taipei | Uzbekistan |
| Group 4 | Jordan | India | Bangladesh |
Group stage scenario: difficulty range
Position in pot 3 means that U20 women Vietnam can be in the same group with any representative from pot 1 and pot 2. This opens up two clear margins: either facing top candidates such as DPRK or Japan, accompanied by a strong opponent from pot 2 (Australia, Korea or China); or meeting host Thailand in a more balanced group. The ticket to the knockout round will be determined not only by key matches with pot 1-2 but also by the ability to optimize points when facing pot 4 teams (Jordan, India or Bangladesh).
Considering the regional context, excluding the host U20 Thailand, U20 Vietnam is the only Southeast Asian team participating in the finals. Therefore, a group with two Southeast Asian representatives creates a derby atmosphere and is also an opportunity for coach Masahiko and his team to test themselves in front of the regional audience.
Qualifying platform: 9 full points
In the qualifying round, the U20 women's team of Vietnam won all three matches in Group B, against Singapore, Hong Kong and Kyrgyzstan, respectively, earning 9 points to advance to the final round. This series of results created a mental foundation and a reference frame for the goal of passing the group stage in the main tournament.
Important timeline
- 13:00 November 10: Draw ceremony in Thailand.
- April 1-18, 2026: Knockout stage of the tournament.
- 5-27/9/2026: 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland (4 semi-finalists from Asia qualify).
Practical significance for Vietnam U20 women's team
With a structure of 3 groups/12 teams, the door to the next round is not only open to the group winners and runners-up but also to the two best third-placed teams. In the current grouping context, risk management against group 1-2 opponents and maximizing points against group 4 teams will be key to reaching the knockout round, thereby moving closer to a place at the 2026 U20 Women's World Cup.
