The 11th Conference of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) for the 9th term (2022 - 2026 term) discussed and planned to send the Vietnam U21 team to participate in the 2026 Asian Games (ASIAD).
Explaining this, VFF Vice President Nguyen Xuan Vu said: "Almost countries like Japan and Korea often send U20 teams to the ASIAD to create momentum for the Olympics. Vietnamese football is also aiming for the 2028 Olympics, so sending the national U21 team to attend the 2026 ASIAD is an important preparation step.
In addition, another reason is that in 2027, this generation of players will play the 34th SEA Games in Malaysia. Therefore, the players will have more opportunities to compete and accumulate experience.
We have sent a document asking for permission from the Department of Physical Education and Sports that we may not achieve results at the ASIAD. The goal is to train and motivate the U21 team towards the SEA Games and the Olympics".
The Vietnam Football Federation aims to win a ticket to the Olympics for the first time, but this is very difficult. In previous Olympics, men's football had 16 participating teams and 4 Asian spots.
However, the 2028 Olympics will be reduced to 12 teams, leaving Asia with only two places. This means that if you want to participate in the Olympics, you must reach the finals of the U23 Asian tournament.
Returning to U21 Vietnam, compared to the current U23, there are only a few players eligible to compete in the ASIAD next year, including goalkeeper Nguyen Tan, Cao Van Binh (2005), midfielder Le Van Thuan, Nguyen Cong Phuong 2006, and striker Nguyen Le Phat (2007).
