AFC U23 Championship 2026: Vietnam U23 in the same group with host Saudi Arabia

On the afternoon of October 2, at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), the drawing ceremony for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship Finals took place.

According to the draw results, the U23 Vietnam team is in Group A with host Saudi Arabia, the 2022 champion, and two other opponents, Jordan and Kyrgyzstan. This is considered a highly competitive group with strong teams, in which Saudi Arabia is considered a championship candidate, Jordan has an unpredictable playing style, and Kyrgyzstan is present as a rookie eager to show off.

In other groups, defending champions Japan are in Group B along with Qatar, UAE and Syria. Group C features Uzbekistan (2018 champions), South Korea (2020 champions), Iran and Lebanon (first-time participants). Meanwhile, Iraq (2013 champions) will face Australia, Thailand and China in Group D.

The 2026 AFC U23 Championship will take place from January 6 to January 24, 2026 in Saudi Arabia. The 16 participating teams are divided into four groups, playing a round-robin tournament. The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals.

This is the 6th consecutive time that the Vietnam U23 team has participated in the AFC U23 Championship, after winning all 3 matches in Group C of the qualifying round, surpassing Bangladesh, Singapore and Yemen to take the top spot in the group.

As part of the preparation plan for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, the Vietnam U23 team will regroup from October 4 in Hanoi , in parallel with the Vietnam National Team's training session during FIFA Days in October 2025. As head coach Kim Sang Sik is preparing with the national team for two matches against Nepal in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the training of the Vietnam U23 team will continue to be assigned to Acting Head Coach Dinh Hong Vinh.

The team will train at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center until October 7 before going to the UAE for training. Here, U23 Vietnam is expected to have two friendly matches with U23 Qatar, which are considered to be of very high quality in terms of expertise, taking place on October 9 and October 13, to complete the squad, practice tactics and gain experience for important goals ahead, including the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/vck-u23-chau-a-2026-u23-viet-nam-chung-bang-voi-chu-nha-saudi-arabia-20251002150937215.htm