ULTIMATE TARGET
After seven months of delegating the spotlight to the Vietnam U23 team, the national team will return to the race in 2026, with the ambition of building a strong squad and developing a playing style to prepare for a new cycle of success. Assuming the Vietnam national team qualifies for the 2027 Asian Cup, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will face three increasingly challenging tournaments: the 2026 AFF Cup (July 2026, Southeast Asian level), the Asian Cup (January 2027, Asian level), and the 2030 World Cup qualifiers in September 2027, also a gateway to the global stage.
The U.23 generation will replace their seniors in the national team in the next 2 or 3 years.
PHOTO: VFF
The increasing difficulty of the tournaments demands that the Vietnamese national team think long-term. Each previous tournament serves as a springboard for experience and momentum for the next, with the ultimate goal being to focus all efforts on the World Cup dream. Preparing the Vietnamese team also needs to be done systematically and methodically. To create a successful cycle, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and Mr. Kim need a different vision than simply assembling a squad for a short-term tournament like the AFF Cup.
The success of the Vietnam U23 team at the 2026 Asian U23 Championship signals that Vietnamese football has a promising next generation. Coach Kim calls his players "the future of Vietnamese football," and pledges to call them up to the national team to gradually empower them to lead the way. The Vietnamese national team has reached a transitional phase, as the generation born between 1993 and 1995 is past its prime. However, to reach a higher level, having a generation of players who make a name for themselves in Asian competitions is not enough.
Eight years ago, only Quang Hai, Duy Manh, and Xuan Manh remained from the generation that achieved the miracle in Changzhou (runner-up in the 2018 U23 Asian Championship). Having a high-quality youth team is difficult enough, but honing their skills to become key players for the national team is even harder, because besides the players' efforts, the quality of the national league and the training process at their clubs are crucial. Mr. Kim stated frankly: "Players need to play abroad for the greater good of Vietnamese football. They should aim for higher-level football leagues." Some players, like Trung Kien and Dinh Bac, have already dreamed of playing abroad. Only by exporting players and transforming the V-League into a high-quality, competitive, and realistic arena can Vietnamese football put its youth on the right track to become pillars of the team. VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan shared with Thanh Nien newspaper : "I expect the Vietnam U23 team to gain competitive experience, thereby improving their abilities. This will allow the young players to improve their skills when the 2030 World Cup qualifiers begin, enabling them to meet higher goals." In the March training camp, the Vietnamese national team will welcome several young players. Each match is a stepping stone for Coach Kim to refine the team's strength.
Coach Kim Sang-sik: 'I am confident I can help the Vietnam U23 team become even better, the goal is the World Cup'
CHILDCARE
The U23 team has completed its youth tournament mission and is preparing to take flight with the national team. The flag of youth football belongs to the next generation, with the U21 players promising to be given the opportunity to wear the Vietnamese Olympic jersey at the 20th Asian Games (taking place in September this year) in Japan. This is the U21 team that will play in the 34th SEA Games and the U23 Southeast Asian Championship in 2027, and is also planned to play in the U23 Asian Championship qualifiers in 2028. The generation born between 2005 and 2007, including Van Binh, Van Thuan, Cong Phuong, Le Phat, etc., will be the next flagbearer, following the same path as the Vietnamese U23 team of Dinh Bac, Hieu Minh, Nhat Minh, Trung Kien, etc.
VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan shared: "The Vietnamese national team is ready for both the near-term goal (AFF Cup 2026) and the long-term goal (World Cup 2030). The U23 Vietnam team is the generation being built for the 2030 World Cup. As for the 2034 World Cup, the core is the current generation of 2008-2009 players, who are currently playing for the U17 Vietnam team. I have encouraged the U17 players that they must have dreams and goals. In 7 years, they will wear the Vietnamese national team jersey, so now they must focus and try their best. This is a promising generation, carefully invested in, with the expectation that these players will wear the U20 Vietnam jersey in two years to participate in the Asian Championship finals."
Choosing to "cultivate talent" to conquer the World Cup qualifiers using internal resources is a challenging but sustainable path. 2026 is the most crucial year for Coach Kim's team to shape its identity for the next five years.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/don-toan-luc-cho-giac-mong-world-cup-185260204232519359.htm
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