Who was the person who led the Vietnam U17 team to the World Cup?

From Benfica to V.League legend, from foreign player to leading the Vietnam U17 team, Cristiano Roland is a rising star in the Vietnamese coaching world.

Coach Cristiano Roland was a foreign player in the V.League before becoming the coach of the Vietnam U17 team. Photo: VFF .

A long-standing prejudice against foreign players exists within Vietnamese football. This prejudice holds that foreign players only benefit from the V.League in the short term, receiving high salaries, making demanding requests, and delivering immediate results. They are seen as contributing little off the field, failing to impart their top-level experience, and not providing additional value commensurate with the significant investment clubs make in them.

In that overall picture, Cristiano Roland is a distinctive highlight. He brought experience from the illustrious Benfica, and he has a deep connection with Hanoi FC both as a player and later as a youth coach. He mentored younger players, set an example, and became a legend, inspiring at the club level and now with the Vietnamese national team.

Among foreign players in the V.League, Roland has gone further than anyone else, becoming the first to sit in the hot seat of a national team, and even leading it to the U17 World Cup.

The journey from Brazil to Vietnam and a special connection.

Cristiano Roland was born in 1976 in Brazil, the cradle of attacking and technical football. He rose through the ranks of renowned academies such as Gremio and Vasco da Gama before beginning his professional career in Europe. During his playing career, Roland spent time in Portugal, playing for Benfica, one of the most traditional clubs on the continent.

Playing as a left-back, Cristiano Roland wasn't a flashy player, but he was always highly regarded for his consistency, tactical awareness, and disciplined fighting spirit. His years playing in Europe helped him build a solid professional foundation, which later became invaluable assets when he embarked on his coaching career.

In 2008, Roland first set foot in Vietnam and joined Hanoi T&T. This was a major turning point in his career, not only because of the new playing environment, but also because of the special connection he gradually formed with Vietnamese football. Wearing the capital city team's jersey, he and his teammates won two V.League championships in 2010 and 2013, becoming one of the most successful foreign players in the league.

Roland only played for Hanoi T&T for half a decade, but it was at the most crucial time in the club's history, when they first joined the V.League and at times dropped to the bottom of the standings. During that crisis, the resilience of players like Roland revived the team. Roland played a major role in Hanoi T&T's first championship in 2010. It's not unreasonable that Hanoi T&T still considers Roland a legend despite his relatively short playing time.

Before qualifying for the World Cup, the Vietnam U17 team won the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship. Photo: VFF.

After retiring, Roland returned to Portugal to pursue a coaching career. For about five years, he worked with various youth teams from U14 to U23, accumulating experience in player training. However, Vietnam always remained on this strategist's mind. He regularly watched matches, updated himself on information, and followed the development of football in the S-shaped country.

In 2021, Coach Roland returned to Vietnam through the connection of his former mentor, Phan Thanh Hung. His coaching career in Vietnam began at Binh Duong Club and evolved into other professional roles. After many years, he gradually established himself before being given the opportunity to lead the Vietnam U17 team.

Philosophy and impact of the Vietnam U17 team.

Unlike his image as a former foreign player in the V.League, Cristiano Roland, as a coach, brings a very European working style: attention to detail, discipline, and a scientific approach . His day begins very early, with preparing lesson plans, analyzing videos, and studying opponents.

Under his leadership, the U17 Vietnam team's training sessions were well-structured, utilizing various supporting tools such as statistics, video analysis, and modern coaching methods. This helped the young players not only improve their skills but also enhance their footballing mindset.

However, what sets Coach Roland apart is his focus on the human element. The coach, born in 1976, spends a lot of time talking to, listening to, and connecting with his players. For him, a strong team is not just about tactics, but also about having a close-knit, family-like bond.

Vietnam U17 team makes history by qualifying for the World Cup. Photo: VFF.

That philosophy is clearly demonstrated in the journey of the Vietnam U17 team. After the failure at the 2025 U17 Asian Championship, where the team was eliminated in the group stage, Roland still received the trust to continue leading the new generation of players. This decision initially caused much skepticism, but over time, it proved to be the right move.

With a squad built from high-quality training academies such as Hanoi FC, PVF, and The Cong - Viettel, Coach Roland has created a team full of energy, playing confidently and without fear of opponents. His team not only plays football with technique, but also with spirit and character.

At the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship, the Vietnam U17 team overcame many strong opponents such as Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, and Malaysia to win the title. Stepping onto the continental stage, the Vietnam U17 team continued to show significant progress. They were no longer a team easily swayed by the flow of the game, but knew how to control the tempo and maintain their playing style. Victories against Yemen and UAE, along with a valiant performance against South Korea, helped Roland's team secure a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Asian U17 Championship as group C winners, and also qualify for the U17 World Cup.

The Vietnam U17 team became the second men's national team in the history of Vietnamese football to qualify for the World Cup. The first was the U20 team of Quang Hai and Hoang Duc in 2017. Behind that success is the clear imprint of coach Cristiano Roland.

Source: https://znews.vn/nguoi-dua-u17-viet-nam-toi-world-cup-la-ai-post1651617.html