After the 0-3 defeat in the quarter-finals against U17 Australia, the Brazilian strategist shared emotionally in the dressing room to encourage his students. Although unable to advance, U17 Vietnam still created a historical milestone when they won the right to participate in the 2026 U17 World Cup for the first time.
Coach Cristiano Roland said that what makes him proud is not only the achievements, but also the fighting spirit and maturity of the whole team in the context of very limited preparation time.
“I always want us to have more time together to prepare better. I want you to be stronger before entering the World Cup, because it will be a very big challenge,” he shared.
According to this coach, U17 Vietnam has completed two important goals in just one month: the 2026 U17 Southeast Asian Championship and a ticket to the 2026 U17 World Cup.
We have just won the Southeast Asian championship and won a ticket to the World Cup even though we didn't have much time to prepare. Over the past time, the coach has always set very high requirements for you. But at this time, what the coach can say is that he is really proud," he said.
The Brazilian strategist also emphasized that the whole team only had about 10 days of training before the tournament, but still overcame many difficulties to create a memorable achievement. He believes that what U17 Vietnam showed has brought pride to fans nationwide.
In addition, coach Cristiano Roland believes that the team needs more time to improve their physical foundation as well as their fighting spirit before entering the World Cup arena.
We need more time to prepare and reach the best condition. Fitness is a very important factor for the team. After a short break, the coach will try to get the whole team to focus again soon," he said.
Before leaving the stadium, coach Cristiano Roland continued to encourage the players to maintain their belief in themselves after a memorable journey at the continental tournament.
We have shown the whole world that Vietnam knows how to play football and play with courage. This defeat is not desired, but the opponent is worthy. However, we will improve even more. Congratulations to you, you are warriors. The most important thing is that we have won a ticket to the World Cup," he emphasized.
