Vietnam's U17 national team has begun an important training camp in South Korea as part of its preparations for the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup.

During the camp, Vietnam are scheduled to play three friendly matches on October 22, 26 and 28 against a South Korean U18 club side, South Korea's U16 national team and South Korea's U17 national team, respectively.

The matches will give the coaching staff an opportunity to test tactical systems, assess the players' progress and further refine the team's playing style.

Facing opponents with strong technical abilities and an appropriate level of competitive intensity will also help the young Vietnamese players gain valuable experience ahead of the international tournament.

After completing the training camp in South Korea, Vietnam U17 will return home to continue their preparations before departing for the United Arab Emirates on November 6 for another training camp.

The team will then travel to Qatar to compete in the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup.

Vietnam have been drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, New Zealand and Mali.

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 possesses a high level of quality. Our group is very strong, and all three matches will present difficult challenges," head coach Cristiano Roland said.

"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 entire team to focus on one match at a time, starting with Belgium. We will try to exploit any opportunities that could give us an advantage and aim to earn points in every match," Roland added.

Dai Nam