A large number of fans were present at the airport to welcome coach Cristiano Roland and his team after the feat of bringing U17 Vietnam to participate in the biggest youth football festival on the planet for the first time.
Representatives of the leaders of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) went to the airport to welcome the team, including Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hoi - Standing Member of the VFF Executive Committee and Mr. Nguyen Minh Chau - Deputy Secretary General of the VFF.
At the 2026 AFC U17 Championship finals, U17 Vietnam made a strong impression when they passed the group stage with a 1-0 victory over U17 Yemen, then created an emotional comeback to defeat U17 UAE 3-2 in the final match, thereby winning the right to the quarterfinals and a spot to participate in the 2026 U17 World Cup.
Although stopping before U17 Australia in the quarter-finals, coach Cristiano Roland's team still completed the most important goal at this year's tournament.
Notably, U17 Vietnam became the only representative of Southeast Asia to participate in the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026, and also one of the 9 Asian representatives to win tickets to participate in the tournament.
Sharing at Noi Bai airport, coach Cristiano Roland expressed his pride in completing two major goals in 2026 with his students: winning the U17 Southeast Asian Championship and winning a ticket to the U17 World Cup.
The goals we set have all been achieved. I am very proud of the players, coaching staff as well as everyone who has always accompanied and supported the team," the Brazilian coach said.
He also assessed that the journey at the AFC U17 Championship helped the players mature more both professionally and in terms of competitive spirit.
After the Southeast Asian tournament, the whole team is much stronger. All three group stage matches were very difficult and decided by small details. The players have made great efforts," he said.
Besides, coach Cristiano Roland believes that U17 Vietnam still has a lot of work to do to move towards the World Cup arena.
We need to improve more. I want more time to work with the players to aim for bigger goals. Vietnam deserves more good things," the Brazilian strategist emphasized.
According to the plan, the 2026 U17 World Cup will take place from November 19 to December 13 in Qatar with the participation of 48 teams. The draw for the tournament will be held on May 21 in Zurich (Switzerland).
After memorable milestones at the regional and continental levels, U17 Vietnam is expected to continue to accumulate experience and mature in the World Cup arena, thereby becoming a quality successor for the national team in the future.
