Just days before the 2026 AFC U17 Championship finals kicked off in Saudi Arabia, the organizers confirmed that North Korea U17 would withdraw from the tournament. This decision forced AFC's organization plan to be adjusted, and at the same time changed the competitive situation for tickets to the 2026 U17 World Cup.
According to the format, 8 teams participating in the quarter-finals will win the right to participate in the U17 World Cup. In addition, in case the host Qatar passes the group stage, AFC can award an additional spot to the 3rd-placed team with the best results. Therefore, the fact that a group is only 3 teams is creating many problems related to the way points are calculated and ranked.
After U17 DPRK withdrew, Group D only has U17 Uzbekistan, U17 Australia and U17 India left. With only 3 teams left, the possibility of winning a position in the top 2 becomes easier, especially for teams that are rated lower such as U17 India.
A greater impact lies in the performance evaluation method between the 3rd-placed teams. AFC is likely to have to adjust the calculation method to ensure fairness. Accordingly, the result against the bottom-ranked team in groups with 4 teams may be eliminated.
This directly affects U17 Vietnam. Coach Cristiano Roland's team is in Group C with U17 Korea, U17 UAE and Yemen. In which, U17 Korea is rated highest and is a bright candidate for a quarter-final spot. The remaining competition is almost concentrated on U17 Vietnam, U17 UAE and U17 Yemen.
If they cannot win 1 of the top 2 positions, U17 Vietnam will have to consider the possibility of competing for a relegation ticket for the 3rd-place team with good results. However, in the context that AFC may change the ranking method because Group D only has 3 teams left, this opportunity will become more unpredictable.
The 2026 AFC U17 Championship takes place from May 7 to May 24 in Saudi Arabia. This is also a direct qualifying round that determines the Asian representatives to participate in the next year's U17 World Cup.
