Analyzing the strengths of Vietnam U17's opponents at the World Cup.

Vietnam U17 (seeded in group 4) is in Group G, facing Mali, Belgium, and New Zealand. In the World Cup, being in any group is a big challenge, but the chances of coach Cristiano Roland's team advancing are not impossible.

Among their opponents in the group, the Belgian U17 team is considered a strong representative of European football, possessing a solid technical foundation and modern tactical thinking. Experts believe that, barring any surprises, the Belgian U17 team will secure one of the two qualifying spots in Group G.

Meanwhile, the Mali U17 team was in the top seed group before the draw and continued to assert the position of African youth football in world tournaments. They are also considered a much stronger opponent than the Vietnam U17 team.

u17 viet nam 24.jpg — Vietnam U17 faces a major challenge at the 2026 World Cup.

Mali's U17 team has won the African U17 Championship, reached the final of the 2015 U17 World Cup, finished fourth in 2017, and third in 2023. In their most recent U17 World Cup, Mali defeated Saudi Arabia and convincingly beat New Zealand, advancing to the knockout round as group runners-up behind Austria. The African team plays a physically demanding style, making it difficult for opponents due to their quick transitions between attacking and defensive phases.

The 2026 AFC U17 Championship is still underway, and Mali U17 earned 5 points after the group stage, finishing second in their group and advancing to the knockout round where they will face Senegal U17. This provides an important basis for coach Cristiano Roland and his coaching staff to study and assess their opponents' skills.

The other team in Group G, U17 New Zealand, is also a formidable opponent. They are the reigning champions of the 2026 Oceania U17 Championship, having defeated New Caledonia U17 2-0 in the regional final. However, at the most recent U17 World Cup, New Zealand failed to advance beyond the group stage.

Overall, the Vietnam U17 team faced strong opponents; however, youth football is often unpredictable and full of surprises. At the 2026 AFC U17 Championship, Nguyen Luc and his teammates even surpassed South Korea U17 to finish first in Group C.

The FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar 2026 will take place from November 19th to December 13th, 2026, with the participation of 48 teams, divided into 12 groups. Teams will play a round-robin format. At the end of the group stage, the top 24 teams from each group, along with the 8 best third-placed teams, will qualify for the knockout stage.