In the early morning of May 14, U17 Vietnam created a historical milestone when defeating U17 UAE with a score of 3-2 in the last match of the group stage of the 2026 AFC U17 Championship.
This result helps coach Cristiano Roland's team to top Group C, win the right to enter the quarterfinals and officially win a ticket to the 2026 U17 World Cup. This achievement continues the series of positive imprints of Vietnamese youth football in recent times.
Assessing the current generation of players, commentator Quang Tung said that this could be an important force in the roadmap towards the long-term goals of Vietnamese football.
He emphasized: "Preparing for the future, from regional tournaments to the goal of reaching out to the continental arena, is all within the long-term orientation of Vietnamese football, and further, serving the national team.
If we have this young generation of players, combined with the quintessential factors of the senior generation, and continue to nurture more successors, then the goal for the 2030 World Cup project, even further, can completely come closer”.
According to commentator Quang Tung, the success of U17 Vietnam comes from the resonance of many factors, in which the quality of training at youth football centers as well as the psychological preparation for the players is prominent.
He shared: "You dare to play, dare to implement tactical intentions, dare to show your skills and qualities. That is very important in football, especially for young players".
Assessing the meaning of the World Cup ticket, this expert said that this is an important milestone to recognize the quality of Vietnamese youth football in the new development stage.
He said: "This is definitely a great encouragement, and can also be seen as a measure for Vietnamese football, especially when viewed from the perspective of youth training and future orientation. To assess the quality of a youth football background, we need to look at milestones like this.
According to commentator Ngo Quang Tung, participating in the world playground is not only the success of a generation of players, but also reflects the systematic development of Vietnamese football over the years, continuing generations that have made their mark before.
He analyzed: "From the regional playground, we turn to the continent, then from the continent to the world. Participating in the World Cup is a step to affirm that roadmap and helps Vietnamese football become more confident on the long road ahead.
However, experts also noted that achievements at the youth level need to be viewed in the right direction and placed in a long-term strategy.
Commentator Quang Tung affirmed: "Participating in the World Cup will be a great source of encouragement, but it is only a necessary condition, not a sufficient condition. The biggest goal is still to contribute to the national team in the future.
