Is there any chance for overseas Vietnamese player Tran Thanh Trung to play for U.23 Vietnam for a few more years?

Due to not being in the best physical condition, midfielder Tran Thanh Trung said goodbye to the Vietnam U.23 team before the 2026 U.23 Asian qualifiers officially began.

On September 2, the Vietnam U.23 team finalized the list of 23 players for the 2026 U.23 Asian qualifiers . Overseas Vietnamese player Tran Thanh Trung suffered a slight injury and was not registered.

If he wasn't injured, Thanh Trung's absence from the team would be an understandable decision by coach Kim Sang-sik. He has just returned to Vietnam, has not fully adapted to the weather and living conditions... and has just joined the U.23 Vietnam team for the first time. Meanwhile, the remaining 23 players have been training together for a long time, played well together and won the 2025 U.23 Southeast Asian Championship in Singapore.

Thanh Trung (second from left) is highly appreciated for his professional capacity.

PHOTO: VFF

Thanh Trung still has many opportunities to contribute to U.23 Vietnam.

However, Thanh Trung probably doesn't have to be too sad. He needs to focus on recovering and adapting better to demonstrate his abilities, thereby being selected for the list to attend the 33rd SEA Games at the end of the year. This player is also very young, born in 2005 and can still wear the U.23 Vietnam team jersey for 3 more years.

Overseas Vietnamese midfielder is not physically fit, what other 'cards' does U.23 Vietnam have?

Thanh Trung's ability has also been recognized by his teammates in the U.23 Vietnam team. Striker Dinh Bac shared on September 1: "Trung integrated very quickly, was happy and united with the whole team. Trung is a quality player and I believe he will play well in the upcoming matches." This is an important basis to believe that Thanh Trung can play for the U.23 Vietnam team in upcoming tournaments.

The 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers will officially take place on September 3. The Vietnam U23 team is in Group C, facing Bangladesh U23 (September 3), Singapore (September 6) and Yemen (September 9). Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team's goal is to win the top spot in the group. If the team completes this task, Thanh Trung can completely join the Vietnam U23 team in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals, taking place in Saudi Arabia early next year.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/con-co-hoi-nao-cho-cau-thu-viet-kieu-tran-thanh-trung-khoac-ao-u23-viet-nam-them-may-nam-185250902131751765.htm