In the match taking place in the early morning of June 8 (Vietnam time) at Lillekula Stadium (Tallinn, Estonia), U17 Belgium created a turning point when taking the lead in the 85th minute thanks to Noa Ojea's goal.
When the championship seemed to be in hand, the young representative of Belgian football lost the advantage at the decisive moment, allowing U17 Italy to equalize 1-1 in injury time from a penalty spot.
Entering the penalty shootout, U17 Belgium could not maintain the necessary accuracy and accepted a 3-4 defeat, thereby missing out on the European championship title right from their first appearance in the final of the tournament.
Although unable to win the championship, the journey of U17 Belgium at this year's tournament is still highly appreciated when they show modern, tightly organized play and impressive fighting spirit, especially in knockout matches.
The European runner-up achievement helps U17 Belgium to be considered one of the leading youth teams of the old continent at the present time. This is also noteworthy information for U17 Vietnam, as the two teams will be in Group G at the 2026 U17 World Cup finals with U17 Mali and U17 New Zealand.
The confrontation between U17 Vietnam and U17 Belgium is therefore expected to be a clear measure of the level difference between Vietnamese youth football and one of the leading youth training backgrounds in Europe, and also an opportunity for coach Cristiano Roland and his team to test their ability against a top European opponent.
