Saudi Arabia U23 wins Gulf Cup, sends a challenge to Vietnam U22.

The absolute power of the champion

Saudi Arabia's U23 team had a perfect warm-up for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship by winning the 2025 Gulf Cup. In the final, held at the 974 Stadium in Qatar, they defeated Iraq's U23 team 2-0 to claim the title.

This is the fifth time Saudi Arabia has won this tournament, an achievement that affirms their absolute dominance in the region, far surpassing other rivals. Notably, they had a convincing journey, maintaining an unbeaten record throughout the tournament, successively advancing through the group stage, defeating the UAE U23 team in the semi-finals before winning the final.

A big challenge awaits coach Kim Sang Sik and his team.

Saudi Arabia's impressive championship victory sends a strong message to their rivals at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, including Vietnam's U22 team. In the upcoming tournament, Saudi Arabia will not only be the host nation but also in the same group as the "Golden Star Warriors".

The proven strength of the Gulf Cup champions will undoubtedly be a formidable challenge for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team on their journey to conquer the continental stage.

Vietnam U22's preparation plan

To prepare for this important tournament, the Vietnam U22 team is expected to reconvene in Hanoi on December 23rd. Then, on December 26th, the entire team will travel to Qatar for training.

During their training camp, the Vietnam U22 team is expected to play a friendly match against the Syria U23 team before traveling to Saudi Arabia on January 1, 2026, to officially begin the tournament.

At the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship, Vietnam U22 will play their opening match against Jordan U23 on January 6th. Following that, they will face Kyrgyzstan U23 on January 9th and host nation Saudi Arabia U23 on January 12th.