From the end of July 2026 to the beginning of 2027, the Vietnamese national team enters a continuous competition phase with many important tournaments. In the immediate future, the goal is to defend the championship at ASEAN Cup 2026, a tournament taking place from July 24 to August 26 in the familiar format including group stage, semi-finals and first-leg and second-leg finals. In the most recent tournament, the Vietnamese national team won the championship with an unbeaten record, creating a foundation to continue towards the goal of maintaining a leading position in the region.
Immediately after that, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will continue to participate in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 from September 21st to October 6th. Although the tournament format has not been officially announced, the Vietnamese team is expected to play at least 3 to 4 matches, or even more if they go deeper. This is a tournament belonging to the FIFA Days period, which is important in accumulating points on the FIFA rankings - a key factor for the seeding process in the 2030 World Cup qualifiers.
Notably, the FIFA ASEAN Cup time coincides with the men's football schedule at ASIAD 2026. In that context, it is highly likely that coach Kim Sang-sik will prioritize focusing on the national team instead of directly leading U23 Vietnam.
According to the orientation of the Vietnam Football Federation, the Vietnam U23 force is expected to participate in ASIAD 2026 with the core being the U21 player generation to accumulate experience, towards long-term goals such as SEA Games 34 and the 2028 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers. This plan is similar to the force organization method previously applied at the previous Asian Games.
In case coach Kim Sang-sik focuses on the national team, head coach Dinh Hong Vinh is likely to continue to be assigned to be in charge of U23 Vietnam. Over the past time, Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh has directly led U23 Vietnam to participate in international friendly tournaments many times and supported professional work for the national team coaching staff.
This personnel assignment is considered appropriate in the context that the Vietnamese national team needs to maintain achievements in regional tournaments, while improving its position in the FIFA rankings to serve the long-term goals of Vietnamese football.
