2026 National U21 Championship Finals – FPT Play Cup: First Four Quarter-finalists Confirmed
On the afternoon of July 16, the final matches in Groups A and B of the 2026 National U21 Football Championship Finals – FPT Play Cup concluded, confirming the first four teams to secure places in the quarter-finals: Hanoi, PVF-CAND, The Cong Viettel, and Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA).
In Group A, the race for qualification was highly competitive as PVF-CAND faced An Giang, while Hanoi took on Ho Chi Minh City. Among the two fixtures, the clash between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City drew the most attention, with the capital side demonstrating their superior quality.
Hanoi took the lead as early as the sixth minute through Thiên Phú. The early breakthrough allowed the team in purple to play with confidence and dominate possession, while Ho Chi Minh City dropped deep in search of counter-attacking opportunities. Just before half-time, in the 42nd minute, Hồng Phong tapped home from close range to double Hanoi’s advantage, giving his side a comfortable 2-0 lead heading into the break.
After the break, Hanoi continued to dictate the tempo. Phú Quý made it 3-0 in the 61st minute before Đình Nguyên extended the lead to four goals in the 75th minute. Ho Chi Minh City managed to respond with two late goals in the 80th and 84th minutes, but the comeback came too late. Hanoi eventually claimed a 4-2 victory, finishing top of Group A to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
In the other Group A fixture, PVF-CAND were made to work hard by An Giang despite being the pre-match favourites. The breakthrough did not arrive until the 33rd minute, when Gia Bảo found the net from a corner kick. Just before half-time, Gia Bảo completed his brace to hand the hosts a comfortable 2-0 advantage heading into the interval.
In the second half, PVF-CAND continued to dominate proceedings and added three more goals in the 66th, 70th and closing stages of the match to complete an emphatic 5-0 victory. The result saw the hosts finish second in Group A, becoming the second team from the group to book a place in the quarter-finals.
In Group B, the clash between HAGL and SLNA was decisive in the battle for qualification. Before the final round of matches, SLNA sat second in the standings with four points, one ahead of HAGL, meaning a draw would be enough to secure a quarter-final berth, while the team from the Central Highlands needed nothing less than a win.
From the opening whistle, HAGL pushed forward in search of an early breakthrough but were frustrated by SLNA’s disciplined defence. The Nghe An side also threatened on the counter-attack on several occasions, yet neither team was able to find the net as the opening 45 minutes ended goalless.
After the restart, SLNA took greater control of the game and increased the pressure on HAGL’s defence, but the team from the Central Highlands held firm. The goalless draw was enough to send SLNA through to the quarter-finals as Group B runners-up. Meanwhile, HAGL must wait for the outcome of the Group C matches to learn whether they can progress as one of the two best third-placed teams.
In the other Group B match, The Cong Viettel encountered little resistance against Tay Ninh. Superior in every aspect, the military side cruised to a convincing 6-0 victory, sealing top spot in Group B and a place in the quarter-finals. Tay Ninh, meanwhile, bowed out of the competition after suffering defeats in all three of their group-stage matches.
