Draw for the 2025/26 U19 National Championship: Many U17 players included.

On the afternoon of December 4th, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) held an online draw for the qualifying round of the 2025/26 National U19 Football Championship, with representatives from the participating teams in attendance. 27 teams were divided into 5 groups, playing a double round-robin format at the host locations. Many players from the Vietnam U17 national team will participate in this qualifying round.

Format and schedule

• The qualifying rounds will take place from December 14, 2025 to January 6, 2026 in the host locations.
• Each group will play a double round-robin format (home and away matches).
• The final round consists of 11 teams: 5 group winners, 5 group runners-up, and 1 best third-placed team.
• The final round will take place from January 14th to January 27th, 2026.

Expertise

Groups A and B bring together top training centers: PVF, PVF-CAND, The Cong Viettel I/II, and Hanoi. The matches, held at Viettel Sports Co., Ltd. – Hanoi and the PVF Youth Football Training Center – Hung Yen, promise intense competition between these academies with a long history of youth development.

Group C brings together LPBank Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Song Lam Nghe An, and Hong Linh Ha Tinh – young teams with distinct identities in player training, creating a noteworthy competitive group at the Ham Rong Sports Center in Gia Lai.

In the South, Group D matches are being played at the Thanh Long Sports Center in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring SHB Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Song Tra Quang Ngai, and Ho Chi Minh City, while Group E, also in Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Hung and Long Tam stadiums), brings together representatives from Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Tay Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City Police. The tight schedule of two rounds of matches in a short period requires effective squad rotation and efficient management of player workload.

An opportunity for the Vietnamese U17 team.

The participation of many U17 Vietnam national team players in the U19 National Championship qualifiers provides an opportunity for them to gain experience at a higher level, in a two-legged competition environment that demands tactical discipline and adaptability. This is an important shift in pace, helping young players accumulate experience before more strenuous training sessions in 2026.

Tournament bracket allocation