According to the draw results, U23 Vietnam will compete in Group A alongside U23 Jordan, U23 Kyrgyzstan, and host nation Saudi Arabia. This group is seen as a "breathable" challenge for head coach Kim Sang Sik and his players. Among the opponents, only U23 Saudi Arabia is rated significantly higher, while U23 Jordan and U23 Kyrgyzstan are considered to be on a similar level to Vietnam.

In Southeast Asia, the other representative, U23 Thailand, finds itself in a much tougher group, facing U23 Iraq, U23 Australia, and U23 China.

Under the tournament format, the 16 participating teams are divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals. The final is scheduled to take place on January 25, 2026.

U23 Vietnam earned their ticket to the finals after defeating Bangladesh 2-0, Singapore 1-0, and Yemen 1-0, topping their qualifying group with a perfect 9 points. This marks Vietnam’s sixth consecutive appearance at the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals.

Full group draw for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals

Group A: Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan
Group B: Japan, Qatar, UAE, Syria
Group C: Uzbekistan, South Korea, Iran, Lebanon
Group D: Iraq, Australia, Thailand, China

Dai Nam