On the afternoon of January 12, the opening ceremony of the qualifying round of the 4th Vietnamese Student Youth Football Tournament in 2026 - THACO Cup Northern region took place at the Stadium of Thuy Loi University (Hanoi).
The tournament is assigned by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association to Thanh Nien Newspaper in coordination with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to organize annually, in the period from the celebration of the Traditional Day of Vietnamese Students (January 9) to welcoming the founding of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26) and Vietnam Sports Day (March 27).
Notably, the tournament has officially been included in the annual national competition system of the VFF and the Vietnam Student Sports Games (VUG) system.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, journalist Tran Viet Hung - Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper - said that the University of Water Resources Stadium is a familiar place for the student sports movement, having hosted the northern qualifying round of the Vietnamese Student Football Tournament 3 times. The tournament is not only of professional significance but also a great festival, contributing to spreading the spirit of sports, solidarity, exchange and learning among students nationwide.
Journalist Tran Viet Hung emphasized that after 3 successful seasons of organization, the 4th Vietnamese Student Football Tournament continues to receive positive responses from universities, colleges, and academies nationwide. The tournament has become a healthy playground, contributing to improving physical fitness, training will and creating a connecting environment for students.
According to the organizers, the tournament attracts 60 participating teams. In which, 59 teams compete in 4 qualifying areas and Nha Trang University - the host team of the final round is specially admitted to the final round.
This year's Northern regional qualifying round alone has 12 participating teams. The teams are divided into 3 groups A, B and C. Each group includes 4 teams, competing in a round-robin format, each team playing 3 matches.
The top 3 teams in each group will win the right to participate in the finals, continuing the race to conquer the championship of the 2026 Vietnamese Student Youth Football Tournament.
Group A: University of Water Resources (host), Dai Nam University, Phenikaa University, Hanoi University of Industry.
Table B: Hanoi University of Physical Education and Sports, FPT Polytechnic College, Banking Academy, Dong A University of Technology.
Table C: Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism, National Economics University, Phuong Dong University, Vietnam Maritime University.
