In 2026, Kim Sang Sik will have a demanding schedule overseeing both the national team and U23 Vietnam. The senior team has just completed the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers as group winners and is now preparing for the ASEAN Cup in July, followed by the FIFA ASEAN Cup from September to October. Meanwhile, U23 Vietnam’s primary mission is the Asiad, also taking place in September.

According to the official schedule, the Asiad 2026 will be held from September 19 to October 4 in Japan. Meanwhile, the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 is set to run from September 21 to October 6. The overlap means Kim Sang Sik cannot directly manage both teams and must choose between leading U23 Vietnam or the national team.

Among the two tournaments, it is highly likely that the Korean strategist will prioritize guiding the Vietnam national team at the FIFA ASEAN Cup - a competition being organized for the first time under FIFA.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup will feature 11 Southeast Asian teams and be officially managed by FIFA, with matches contributing to the FIFA rankings. Notably, points awarded from this tournament will carry greater weight than those from traditional regional competitions such as the ASEAN Cup. This means that winning the title could significantly boost a team’s position in the FIFA rankings.

After competing in the ASEAN Cup 2026 with the goal of defending their title, Vietnam will continue into the FIFA ASEAN Cup with the same ambition. The tournament is also seen as a key warm-up for the Asian Cup 2027 finals, making Kim Sang Sik’s presence essential.

As a result, U23 Vietnam’s Asiad campaign could be entrusted to assistant coach Dinh Hong Vinh. Although the team is not under heavy pressure to achieve top results at the Asian Games, they remain determined to make a meaningful impact.

Recently, following Kim Sang Sik’s proposal, several players who participated in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals have been added to the U23 Vietnam squad for the upcoming Asiad, instead of relying solely on the U20/21 generation as initially planned.

Dai Nam