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Vietnam will participate in the U17 World Cup for the very first time later this year, securing their status as the only Southeast Asian team to qualify for the global youth tournament.
The 2026 U17 Asian Cup features 16 teams divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group, along with host nation Qatar, automatically qualify for the World Cup.
The four group winners securing their spots are Saudi Arabia from Group A, Japan from Group B, Vietnam from Group C, and Uzbekistan from Group D. Joining them are the four runners-up: Tajikistan, China, South Korea and Australia. Vietnam's qualification makes them the sole Southeast Asian representative after Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia were eliminated during the earlier stages.
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Vietnam midfielder Nguyen Minh Thuy (number 8) celebrates the goal that put Vietnam ahead in the 3-2 victory against UAE in the U17 Asian Cup group stage, at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Saudi Arabia on May 14, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Song Hoa |
A dramatic three-goal performance helped Vietnam defeat the UAE, securing the historic qualification.
This achievement makes Vietnam the 20th team from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to appear in the history of the U17 World Cup. Previously, the nation has competed in the men's Futsal World Cup in 2016 and 2021, the men's U20 World Cup in 2017, and the Women's World Cup in 2023.
Since the tournament's inaugural edition in 1985, Australia lead Asian nations with 14 U17 World Cup appearances. They are closely followed by Japan with 12, South Korea and Qatar with nine each, China with seven, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan with five each, and Tajikistan with four.
Historically, Saudi Arabia boasts the continent's best performance, having won the title in 1989. Australia finished as the runner-up in 1999, Qatar secured fourth place in 1991, and Tajikistan reached the round of 16 in 2007. The remaining four qualified teams, Japan, South Korea, China and Uzbekistan, have all reached the quarterfinals at least once.
The U17 World Cup is held annually, with Qatar serving as hosts between 2025 and 2029. This year's tournament will take place from Nov. 19 to Dec. 13, featuring 48 participating teams. With the exception of Africa, all continental federations have officially determined their World Cup teams.
Europe will send 11 teams: Spain, Belgium, Montenegro, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, and Serbia. South America will be represented by seven nations, comprising Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela.
North and Central America will send eight teams: Costa Rica, Haiti, Panama, the United States, Cuba, Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico. Oceania will be represented by New Caledonia, New Zealand and Fiji. The format of the 2026 U17 World Cup will mirror last year's structure. The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups for a round-robin stage. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, will advance to the round of 16.
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Japan (in blue) beat Indonesia 3-1 in the U17 Asian Cup, at the King Abdullah Sports City training ground in Saudi Arabia on May 12, 2026. Photo by AFC |
Asian Cup glory continues
While World Cup qualification is secure, the battle for the U17 Asian Cup title continues. The quarterfinals will take place over three days from May 15 to 17. Vietnam are scheduled to face Australia, and the winner will play either Saudi Arabia or China in the semifinals. The other side of the bracket features Japan taking on Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan facing South Korea.
This marks Vietnam's third appearance in the tournament's quarterfinals, following runs in 2000 and 2016. Their best performance remains a fourth-place finish in 2000.
Across the continent, Japan remain the most successful team in the history of the tournament with four titles won in 1994, 2006, 2018 and 2023, alongside a record 13 quarterfinal appearances.
South Korea follows with 12 quarterfinal appearances, while Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan each have nine. South Korea, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and China each boast two titles. Tajikistan previously finished as the runner-up in 2018, while Australia have secured third place on three occasions.
