Men’s Football at the 2026 Asian Games: Vietnam U23 Drawn with Uzbekistan, Philippines and Kuwait

Mr. Trần Quốc Tuấn (right) – President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), AFC Executive Committee Member, Chairman of the AFC Competitions Committee, and Head of the Men’s Football Competition Committee for the 2026 Asian Games – attends the official draw ceremony

The draw ceremony was held in Japan, attended by representatives of the participating teams and featuring a cultural performance by the host nation. Notably, Mr. Trần Quốc Tuấn – President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), AFC Executive Committee Member, and Chairman of the AFC Competitions Committee – was appointed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as Head of the Men’s Football Competition Committee for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.

At the draw, Vietnam U23 were placed in Pot 1 alongside hosts Japan, China, and South Korea, thanks to their quarter-final finish at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026. As a result, Vietnam avoided facing any of these three teams in the group stage.

Pot 2 consisted of Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand. Pot 3 included Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, and the Philippines, while Pot 4 featured Kuwait, Hong Kong, China, and DPR Korea.

The men’s football tournament at the 2026 Asian Games will feature 15 teams, divided into four groups: three groups of four teams and one group of three. The teams will compete in a single round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

The draw results are as follows:

• Group A: Japan, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Hong Kong, China
• Group B: China, United Arab Emirates, Iran, DPR Korea
• Group C: Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Philippines, Kuwait
• Group D: South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Qatar

Vietnam’s best-ever achievement in the men’s football tournament at the Asian Games came at ASIAD 2018, when the team, under the guidance of head coach Park Hang Seo, reached the semi-finals. Vietnam were defeated 3-1 by South Korea in the last four and eventually finished the tournament in fourth place.

The 20th Asian Games will be held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026. The men’s football competition is open to players born on or after 1 January 2003, with each team permitted to register up to three over-age players.

As part of their preparations for ASIAD 2026, the Vietnam U23 national team will reconvene on 29 July, with a squad comprising a combination of U23 and U21 players. The training camp is an important step in building greater squad depth, enhancing the team’s competitiveness, and providing young players with valuable international experience as part of Vietnam’s long-term development strategy.