The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Asian Olympic Council (OCA) have agreed on a special regulation for the 2026 Asian Games: the 16 participating U23 men's football teams will be the same 16 teams that competed in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals in Saudi Arabia last January.
With their third-place finish at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, the Vietnam U23 team automatically qualified for the 20th Asian Games.
However, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has agreed to send the U21 team as a replacement to preserve the strength of the 2005-2006 generation towards bigger goals: SEA Games 34 (2027), U23 Asian Championship 2028 (Olympic qualifiers) and Los Angeles Olympics 2028.
Besides Vietnam U21, Thailand U23 is the remaining Southeast Asian representative at ASIAD 20, despite being eliminated early in the group stage of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. This is a fair wildcard entry from the AFC, recognizing their qualification for the finals instead of just counting the top 4 as in previous editions.
In women's football, the 20th Asian Games will feature 12 teams – the same 12 teams that will participate in the 2026 Asian Women's Football Championship (held in March 2026 in Australia).
The Vietnamese women's national team, along with the Philippines, are the two Southeast Asian representatives who have affirmed their regional standing after participating in several major continental tournaments recently.
Currently, the Vietnamese women's national team is training in Shenzhen (China) in preparation for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup.
The special qualification for the 20th Asian Games is not only a well-deserved reward for achievements at the continental level but also opens up a valuable opportunity for Vietnamese football teams to gain experience and continue their journey to reach regional prominence.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/hai-doi-tuyen-bong-da-viet-nam-duoc-dac-cach-du-asiad-20-204079.html
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