Drawn from Pot 4, Vietnam U17 will take on Mali, Belgium and New Zealand in the group stage.

At World Cup level, every group presents a major challenge, but Vietnam’s chances of progressing are far from impossible.

Among the teams in Group G, Belgium U17 are regarded as one of Europe’s strongest youth sides, known for their technical quality and modern tactical approach.

Football analysts believe that unless there is a major upset, Belgium are favorites to claim one of the two direct qualification spots from the group.

Meanwhile, Mali U17 entered the draw as a Pot 1 team and continue to underline the strength of African youth football on the world stage.

They are also widely considered much stronger than Vietnam U17.

Mali previously won the African U17 Championship, reached the final of the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2015, finished fourth in 2017 and secured third place in 2023.

At the most recent U17 World Cup, Mali defeated Saudi Arabia and comfortably beat New Zealand before advancing to the knockout stage as runners-up behind Austria.

The African side rely heavily on physical strength, athleticism and rapid transitions, making them difficult opponents to contain.

The 2026 African U17 Championship is still ongoing, with Mali collecting five points in the group stage to finish second and advance to the knockout rounds, where they will face Senegal U17.

This gives coach Cristiano Roland and his staff an important opportunity to study and evaluate the team in detail.

The remaining Group G opponent, New Zealand U17, are also a dangerous side.

They are the reigning OFC U17 champions after defeating New Caledonia 2-0 in the regional final earlier this year.

However, at the previous FIFA U17 World Cup, New Zealand failed to progress beyond the group stage.

Overall, Vietnam U17 will face strong opposition across the board.

Still, youth football is often unpredictable and full of surprises.

At the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup, Nguyen Luc and his teammates even managed to outperform South Korea U17 to finish top of Group C.

The FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar 2026 will take place from November 19 to December 13, 2026, featuring 48 national teams divided into 12 groups.

Teams will play a single round-robin format in the group stage.

At the end of the first round, the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will qualify for the knockout stage.

Dai Nam