The draw for the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup has placed Vietnam in Group C with South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The tournament will take place in Saudi Arabia from May 7 to 24, 2026, featuring 16 national teams.

It’s considered a challenging group for Vietnam, as South Korea remain one of the strongest sides in Asia while both the UAE and Yemen have shown steady progress in youth football.

At the group stage, teams will play in a round-robin format, with the top eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals and earning qualification for the FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar 2026. For Vietnam, this represents both a significant opportunity and a tough test to assert their presence and gain valuable international experience.

Earlier in the qualifiers, Vietnam delivered an impressive performance, collecting 15 points from five matches, scoring 30 goals and keeping clean sheets throughout to top their group. The dominant run secured their place among Asia’s elite teams at this year’s finals.

Among the 16 participating teams, 13 also featured in the previous edition in 2025, where Uzbekistan were crowned champions. The three new faces this year are India, Qatar and Myanmar, the latter returning to the competition after a two-decade absence since 2006.

Meanwhile, in the women’s tournament, the draw placed Vietnam’s U17 women’s team in Group A alongside hosts China, Thailand and Myanmar. Group B includes Japan, Australia, India and Lebanon, while Group C features North Korea, South Korea, the Philippines and Chinese Taipei.

The top four teams at the 2026 AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup will represent Asia at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2026.

Dai Nam