Record: 6 Vietnamese teams qualify for the 2026 Asian Cup Finals.

In 2025, Vietnamese football will achieve a rare milestone: six national teams will qualify for the 2026 Asian Cup Finals, and none will be eliminated in the qualifying rounds. Only the Vietnamese national team is still in the qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup, with a wide-open door to further progress.

A prominent landmark in the region.

The achievement of having six national teams qualify for the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship is unprecedented in Southeast Asia in recent years. The teams that have qualified include: the Vietnam women's national team, the U17 women's team, the U20 women's team, the U17 men's team, the U23 Vietnam team, and the men's futsal team. The U20 men's team did not participate because no qualifying rounds were held this year.

Key takeaway: no Vietnamese team was eliminated in the qualifying rounds. Meanwhile, a major regional rival, Thailand, saw its women's team knocked out by India.

A landmark victory

At the youth level, the Vietnam U17 team made a strong impression by defeating Malaysia 4-0, securing their place in the 2026 AFC U17 Championship. The 4-0 scoreline is not just a margin of victory, but also symbolizes their superior preparation, approach to the game, and ability to decide the match when opportunities arose.

System platform: from youth to futsal

Besides the success of the Vietnamese national team at the AFF Cup and the U23 Southeast Asian Championship title, the youth and futsal teams have convincingly qualified for the continental tournaments. As the national teams at all levels progress, the depth of personnel and the interconnectedness between age groups are strengthened: each training camp is preparation for a higher level competition the following year.

Perspective from the VFF: To reach greater heights, we must establish a presence in Asia.

During a meeting with the three national teams – the women's national team, the men's futsal team, and the U22 Vietnam team – before the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan emphasized that the prerequisite for raising the level of the national team and aiming for the World Cup dream is regular participation in Asian competitions. According to him, only by facing strong teams from the continent can Vietnamese players truly gain experience, improve their skills, and develop their competitive spirit.

Asian Cup 2027: Waiting for the final piece of the puzzle.

The Vietnamese national team is the only representative still competing in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Because the qualifiers follow the FIFA Days schedule, the tournament lasts almost a year and will conclude in March 2026. Given the current situation, especially the possibility of Malaysia having points deducted, the opportunity for the team to achieve their goal of qualifying for the finals is wide open. If they achieve the desired result, Vietnamese football will reach a historic milestone: having all seven teams participate in the continental finals.

Six teams have qualified for the 2026 Asian Cup Finals.

Note: The U20 men's team is not participating as no qualifying rounds were held this year.

This is more than just a collection of achievements. With frequent appearances in Asian competitions, Vietnamese players have the opportunity to be exposed to a high-quality competitive environment, thereby improving their skills and increasing their resilience under pressure. The road ahead requires perseverance, but 2025 has already shown one important thing: when the system progresses together, the big goals become more concrete.