After more than a month of training, Vietnam's U17 national team is entering a crucial phase of preparations for its first appearance at the FIFA U17 World Cup. Alongside improving physical fitness and refining tactics through practice matches, head coach Cristiano Roland and his staff are paying close attention to nutrition, recovery and the players' mental readiness.

Assessing the team's progress, Roland said: "During the first two weeks, we focused on improving the players' physical condition, particularly their strength and endurance. We then played several practice matches to refine our tactical options. I believe this initial phase has been an important starting point in our preparations. We still have international friendlies ahead, and we hope the entire squad will be in the best possible shape when the FIFA U17 World Cup begins."

Vietnam have been drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, New Zealand and Mali at the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup. Under the tournament format, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage.

"The U17 World Cup is a major tournament where every participating team has a high level of quality. Our group is very strong, and all three matches will present difficult challenges.

"The coaching staff are studying all three opponents, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses and identifying suitable approaches. However, the most important thing is for the team to focus on one match at a time, starting with Belgium. We are working to exploit any opportunities that could give us an advantage and aiming to earn points in every match," Roland said.

Beyond technical and tactical preparations, Roland said the players had learned valuable lessons at the recent AFC U17 Asian Cup about the dangers of becoming distracted by social media comments, particularly after a defeat.

Everyone enjoys receiving praise, he noted, but earning positive recognition requires players to work seriously and remain focused in every training session and match.

"From the beginning, our goal has been to stay ready, perform as well as possible in every match and keep pushing beyond our limits. This time, the challenge is much greater. That is why our preparations are focused not only on physical fitness but also on mental strength, resilience and the ability to maintain concentration.

"We genuinely want to make a difference. Everyone is working with the greatest determination so that when we return to Vietnam, the players can make our supporters proud of what they have shown," Roland concluded.

Dai Nam