Vietnam U23 faces the most unique AFC U23 Asian Championship in history.
After winning the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, the Vietnam U22 team will participate in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. This will be the last tournament held every two years before the AFC changes the format.
Last chance before a historical change.
The 2026 AFC U23 Championship in Saudi Arabia will be a historic tournament, as it will be the last time the event is held in a year without the Olympic Games. According to a decision by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), from 2028 onwards, the tournament will switch to a four-year cycle and will only take place in Olympic years, serving as a qualifying round for the Olympic Games.
This change means that young players at the U23 level will have fewer opportunities to gain top-level experience at the continental level than before. Therefore, the 2026 tournament holds special significance, as it is the last chance for many teams, including Vietnam U23, to assert their position under the old format.
The journey of the Vietnam U23 team
Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team entered the tournament armed with the gold medal they had just won at the 33rd SEA Games after an emotional victory against host nation Thailand. This success was a crucial morale boost for the entire team before facing the major challenge at the continental arena.
According to the plan, the Vietnam U22 team will gather in Hanoi on December 23rd to begin their preparation. On December 26th, the entire team will travel to Qatar for training. There, the team is expected to have a high-quality friendly match against the Syria U23 team to refine their tactics and personnel.
Match schedule for the group stage
On January 1st, 2026, the Vietnam U23 team will travel from Qatar to Saudi Arabia to prepare for the final tournament matches. The team's specific schedule in the group stage is as follows:
- January 6th:Facing U23 Jordan
- January 9th:Match against Kyrgyzstan U23
- January 12th:Facing U23 Saudi Arabia
The training camp in Qatar is expected to help the Vietnam U23 team prepare as best as possible in all aspects, from technical skills and physical fitness to psychology, in order to achieve high results at this special tournament.
