Is there any chance for overseas Vietnamese player Tran Thanh Trung to play for the U.23 Vietnam team 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, it would be an understandable decision by coach Kim Sang-sik that Thanh Trung wasn't on the team. He had just returned to Vietnam, hadn't fully adapted to the weather and living conditions... and had just joined the U.23 Vietnam team for the first time. Meanwhile, the remaining 23 players had been training together for a long time, played well together, and won the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 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 sad too much. He needs to focus on recovering and adapting better to show his ability, thereby being selected for the SEA Games 33 list 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 another 3 years.

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

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, happily 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 the 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