FAR SURPASSING THAILAND AND INDONESIA
The 3-2 victory against the UAE U17 team (early morning of May 14th) helped the Vietnam U17 team hit two targets with one arrow: securing a place in the Asian quarterfinals and simultaneously earning a World Cup ticket for the first time in history. Notably, Nguyen Van Duong and his teammates also surpassed South Korea U17 (the reigning third-place team) to top Group C with 6 points, one point more than their opponent.
Vietnam's U.17 team's qualification for the World Cup affirms the upward trajectory of the country's youth football.
PHOTO: VFF
Conversely, all three Southeast Asian representatives in the U.17 Asian Championship finals – Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia – were eliminated early in the group stage. U.17 Thailand and U.17 Myanmar each earned only 1 point, while U.17 Indonesia had 3 points, the same as the second-placed team but with an inferior head-to-head record, thus ending their participation.
The achievements of coach Roland and his team have helped Vietnamese youth football affirm its absolute strength in Southeast Asia. The U17 Vietnam team is following the same path as their U23 counterparts earlier this year: winning the Southeast Asian championship, then becoming the region's furthest representative when venturing into the "big ocean" of Asia. Specifically, the U23 Vietnam team will win the SEA Games 33 and the U23 Southeast Asian Championship 2025, then finish third in the U23 Asian Championship 2026. The U17 Vietnam team will win the U17 Southeast Asian Championship 2026, then reach the Asian quarterfinals and qualify for the U17 World Cup.
The resounding success of the U.23 (approaching the national team) and U.17 (beginning their professional journey) teams is proof of the solid foundation of Vietnamese youth football. Instead of pursuing a policy of naturalizing players for the sake of appearances like Indonesia and Malaysia, or purely adhering to a technical passing game philosophy that seems outdated like Thailand, the Vietnam Football Federation has chosen a more suitable path: prioritizing the development of a strong youth training foundation, utilizing both naturalized players and overseas Vietnamese but at a moderate frequency (domestic players still play a crucial role).
Vietnam U.17 team secures historic World Cup ticket.
PHOTO: VFF
Furthermore, the playing style of the U.23 and U.17 teams is not confined to any specific tactical form. Both teams (or Vietnamese youth teams in general) are oriented towards solid defense, systematic and scientific pressing, confident and well-organized ball distribution from their own half, and flexibility and adaptability to suit the opponent.
The strength of the Vietnam U17 team, like their predecessors, lies in their bold approach to set pieces such as corner kicks and indirect free kicks, despite having one of the most modest physiques in the tournament. The audacious idea that they can play aerial balls and wing attacks against taller and more resilient teams has created a formidable, tenacious youth team, ready to face the highest challenges in Asia.
WORLD CUP AND MORE
Besides qualifying for the quarter-finals of the U.17 Asian Championship (against U.17 Australia at 0:00 on May 17th), the Vietnam U.17 team will have at least three warm-up matches in the group stage of the 2026 U.17 World Cup, which will take place in November this year in Qatar.
VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan (in light shirt) with the Vietnam U.17 coaching staff after the victory against UAE U.17.
PHOTO: VFF
In a tournament bringing together the world's strongest youth teams, the Vietnam U.17 team has the opportunity to gain valuable lessons, from enjoying the atmosphere of top-level professional football, competing against leading opponents, learning how to prepare for world-class competition, and honing their mental fortitude in intense, nail-biting matches.
It's a valuable experience that will not only elevate young players but also help Vietnamese youth football get closer to world-class standards.
In an interview with Thanh Nien newspaper, the President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), Tran Quoc Tuan, affirmed that the Vietnamese national team aims for the high goal of qualifying for the 2030 World Cup, or even further, the 2034 World Cup. If the 2030 World Cup is the tournament where the current U.23 generation (born in 2003-2004) will make their mark on the Vietnamese national team, then the 2034 World Cup is the time for the current U.17 generation (born in 2009-2010, by then 22-23 years old) to become the "core" on the path to conquest.
Expert Doan Minh Xuong emphasized: "Investing in the U.17, U.20, or U.23 teams is a sound strategy. We need to create conditions for them to train long-term and gain more international experience. From now on, we must identify them as the core of our World Cup goal and provide them with appropriate investment resources."
With their World Cup qualification, the Vietnam U.17 team will not have to participate in next year's qualifiers. However, the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation) continues to invest in the U.15 and U.16 age groups. In 2026, the VFF will organize the first U.16 League for professional clubs, providing opportunities for players who will compete in the 2027 U.17 Asian Championship to gain experience.
VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bong-da-tre-viet-nam-vuon-ra-bien-lon-185260514224258929.htm
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