U23 Vietnam will bring a force of 23 players to Japan to participate in the 20th Asian Games (ASIAD 20). Notably, besides players who have international competition experience, the squad also has many faces of the 21st generation.
This force building method both aims to compete at ASIAD 2026 and creates conditions for young players to accumulate experience in the continental arena.
In 2026, U23 Vietnam has had two training camps to prepare for international missions. In March, the team participated in the CFA Team China 2026 friendly tournament, successively facing U23 DPRK, U23 Thailand and U23 China.
By the end of July, U23 Vietnam will continue to gather for a short time to review and assess the force before entering the final preparation stage for ASIAD 2026.
Giving opportunities to many young players is also part of the long-term force preparation orientation of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). Besides the goal at ASIAD, U23 Vietnam aims for international tasks in 2027, including the U23 Asian qualifiers, SEA Games and the U23 Southeast Asian Championship.
After ASIAD 2026, U23 Vietnam is expected to continue to have activities during FIFA Days in November in Gia Lai to maintain the force and prepare for the next tournaments.
Because the timing of ASIAD 2026 coincides with the national team's competition schedule at FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, head coach Kim Sang-sik continues to assign assistant Dinh Hong Vinh to lead U23 Vietnam at the Congress.
According to the plan, U23 Vietnam will gather again on September 12 and depart for Japan on September 13. The time for direct preparation is not long, so building a force early is considered an important factor in the team's preparation process.
At ASIAD 2026, U23 Vietnam is in Group C with U23 Uzbekistan, U23 Philippines and U23 Kuwait. The team will meet U23 Kuwait on September 15, U23 Philippines on September 18 and U23 Uzbekistan on September 22.
According to the format, the top two teams in each group will qualify for the quarter-finals. Therefore, each match in the group stage is important for U23 Vietnam's goal of going deep.
With the force that has been finalized, U23 Vietnam will enter the ASIAD 2026 campaign with the goal of playing their best, while creating opportunities for young players to accumulate experience and mature through continental playgrounds.
