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Vietnam have been placed in Group G alongside Belgium, Mali and New Zealand for the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup, following the official draw in Zurich, Switzerland Thursday night (Hanoi time).
| 2026 U17 World Cup groups | Teams |
| A | Egypt, Greece, Panama, Qatar |
| B | Ecuador, New Caledonia, South Korea, African play-off slot 1 |
| C | Argentina, Australia, Denmark, African play-off slot 1 |
| D | France, Haiti, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay |
| E | Côte d'Ivoire, Italy, Uzbekistan, Jamaica |
| F | Senegal, Croatia, Tajikistan, Cuba |
| G | Mali, Belgium, New Zealand, Vietnam |
| H | Spain, Morocco, Fiji, China |
| I | Brazil, Ireland, Costa Rica, Tanzania |
| J | U.S., Chile, Montenegro, Algeria |
| K | Mexico, Venezuela, Cameroon, Romania |
| L | Japan, Colombia, Honduras, Serbia |
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Vietnam players sing the national anthem before their 1-0 victory over Yemen at the 2026 U17 Asian Cup in King Abdullah Sports City in Saudi Arabia, May 7, 2026. Photo by Doan Huynh |
The 2026 edition will take place in Qatar from Nov. 19 to Dec. 13 and feature 48 teams. Vietnam must finish in the top two of Group G or rank among the eight best third-placed teams to advance to the knockout stage.
The Asian Football Confederation will be represented by nine teams. In addition to host Qatar, eight nations secured qualification through the AFC U17 Championship quarter-finals: Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Australia.
Africa has 10 slots, while Europe holds 11. North and Central America have eight places, South America seven, and Oceania three. Two remaining African slots will be decided through play-offs scheduled for May 23.
The tournament is expected to use multiple venues in Qatar, with previous editions having been staged at the Aspire Academy complex. The final is traditionally held at major stadiums such as Khalifa International Stadium.
The U17 World Cup, first held in 1985 in China, has been dominated historically by Nigeria, with five titles, followed by Brazil with four.
