Vietnam U23 at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship: From SEA Games champion to continental ambition
With the SEA Games 33 championship title as their trophy cabinet and systematic investment under coach Kim Sang-sik, the Vietnam U23 team is ready to assert its position at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
After a spectacular 2025, culminating in a gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, the Vietnam U23 team is finalizing its preparations for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. This is considered a crucial benchmark to determine whether Vietnamese youth football has truly become a stable force on the continental stage.
A well-structured investment strategy and battlefield prowess.
Looking back at the preparation process, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) provided maximum support for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team. Throughout 2025, the Vietnam U23 team underwent seven consecutive international training camps and competitions – a rare level of investment in recent years. The experience of competing against top opponents such as South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Qatar during training camps in China, the UAE, and Qatar helped the young players accumulate significant match experience.
Despite suffering a narrow 1-2 defeat against U23 Syria on the evening of December 30th, the coaching staff still considers this a necessary test. This loss helped the team identify the final weaknesses in their defensive system and their ability to transition between attacking and defensive phases before entering the official tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Shed the label of a phenomenon to assert your class.
The fruits of systematic investment are dominance in Southeast Asia with a convincing U23 regional championship and a gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games. However, according to coach Kim Sang-sik, those titles are just stepping stones. The core goal of Vietnamese football now is to shed the label of "phenomenon" and become a highly stable force in Asia.
If the 2018 Changzhou miracle was a breakthrough in terms of spirit, then consistently reaching the quarterfinals in 2022 and 2024 has affirmed Vietnam's position among the strongest teams in the tournament. The current squad is a blend of the experience of seasoned national team players and the youthful ambition of the team.
Disciplined play and versatile control
Under coach Kim Sang-sik, the Vietnam U23 team no longer plays purely based on overcoming difficulties. The team has developed a clear identity: discipline, unity, and the ability to control diverse game situations. This is a solid foundation for the entire team to confidently set goals beyond simply advancing from the group stage.
The challenge in Saudi Arabia will undoubtedly be fraught with difficulties, as the skill and physical prowess of the West Asian and East Asian opponents are far superior. However, with the tactical maturity gained after a year of training, the Vietnam U23 team promises to write new chapters in the history of Vietnamese football in 2026.
