Asia has 8.5 places to attend the 2026 World Cup, Vietnam has more opportunities

The 2026 World Cup will have the number of participating teams increase from 32 to 48. Therefore, there will be 4 more slots for Asia (from 4.5 to 8.5 slots). That is the latest announcement of the Asian Football Confederation on its homepage. And this is also the information that has received the attention of the Vietnam National Team.

8.5 places include 8 teams that get direct tickets and 1 team that plays a play-off with another region. Of course, this is information that many Asian teams are waiting for, including Vietnam. The 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia will have 4 rounds. That is, 1 more than the 2022 World Cup.

Coach Le Huynh Duc returns to Saigon Club

On the evening of August 1, Saigon FC's leadership decided to appoint coach Le Huynh Duc to the position of Technical Director to support coach Phung Thanh Phuong.

Accordingly, Coach Le Huynh Duc has agreed to sit in the team's technical area as Technical Director. Mr. Phung Thanh Phuong still holds the role of Head Coach of the team.

Coach Le Huynh Duc.

The appointment of Mr. Duc to the position of Technical Director is not beyond hope. With more than 10 years of experience in holding the table, the former captain of the Vietnam National Team will have useful contributions to Mr. Phuong in professional matters.

During his coaching career, Coach Le Huynh Duc was associated with SHB Da Nang Club. He twice brought the team on the banks of the Han River to the V.League championship.

Benzema's backup striker was suddenly sold by Real

Striker Borja Mayoral.

Getafe have announced the successful signing of striker Borja Mayoral from Real Madrid for 10 million euros. The 25-year-old player has signed a 5-year contract with Getafe. This is a relatively surprising deal because Mayoral was initially expected to become a backup option for Karim Benzema in the role of center forward.

Premier League "takes special care" during the 2022 World Cup

Premier League clubs have been given the green light to arrange friendly matches during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

This year's tournament will be the first World Cup to be held in winter instead of summer, so the Premier League's schedule will have to change significantly.

This is why head coaches want to arrange friendly matches to ensure players maintain the best physical condition when the Premier League returns on Boxing Day (December 26).

The Premier League will take a six-week break in the middle of the season, with no matches scheduled from November 14 to December 25. This will be the time when players return to their national teams for the World Cup.

Some Premier League clubs may only have a handful of players available for the World Cup, so the gap between round 16 and 17 is relatively long.

Khoi Nguyen