The 2026 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup takes place from September 5 to September 27 in Poland. In the list of referees selected by FIFA, assistant referee Ha Thi Phuong is the representative of Vietnam assigned to perform duties at the tournament.
On September 9, the Vietnamese female assistant referee was assigned by FIFA to perform duties in the match between U20 French women's team and U20 Ecuador women's team. Ha Thi Phuong took on the position of Assistant Referee 1, thereby conducting a match at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup 2026 for the first time.
To prepare for the tournament, referees and assistant referees summoned by FIFA have been present in the city of Katowice (Poland) since the end of August. Here, the referee force participates in the pre-tournament training program organized by FIFA from August 30 to September 3.
FIFA applies strict health and fitness requirements to the team of referees on duty at the U20 Women's World Cup. Before leaving, assistant referee Ha Thi Phuong completed a mandatory fitness test under the supervision of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).
The entire physical fitness test process is recorded and sent directly to FIFA for appraisal according to regulations. Meeting professional and physical standards is a necessary condition for referees selected by FIFA to perform duties at the tournament.
Being summoned by FIFA and directly officiating the match at the 2026 Women's U20 World Cup marks another step forward in the international career of assistant referee Ha Thi Phuong.
This milestone also shows the increasingly clear presence of Vietnamese female referees at international tournaments organized by FIFA.
