Vietnam Women’s National Team Drawn into the “Group of Death” at ASIAD 2026
The official draw for the women’s football tournament at the 2026 Asian Games, held on 23 July in Nagoya, Japan, handed the Vietnam women’s national team a challenging group-stage assignment. Head coach Hoàng Văn Phúc and his players were drawn into Group A alongside hosts Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand.
Meanwhile, Group B consists of South Korea, DPR Korea, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, while Group C features China, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and Hong Kong, China. Vietnam will face a stern challenge in Group A, battling Thailand and Chinese Taipei for a place in the knockout stage while also taking on tournament favourites Japan.
Prior to the draw, the Vietnam women’s national team were placed in Pot 3, alongside Uzbekistan and Bangladesh, based on their performance at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026. Pot 1 comprised Japan, China, and South Korea; Pot 2 included DPR Korea, the Philippines, and Chinese Taipei; while Myanmar, Thailand, and Hong Kong, China were placed in Pot 4.
The tournament features 12 teams, divided into three groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals. As hosts, Japan were automatically assigned to Group A before the draw for the remaining teams took place.
The 20th Asian Games will be held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026, while the women’s football tournament will run from 14 September to 2 October. Mr. Trần Quốc Tuấn, President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), AFC Executive Committee Member, and Chairman of the AFC Competitions Committee, attended the draw ceremony in Nagoya after being appointed by the AFC as Head of the Men’s Football Competition Committee for ASIAD 2026.
As part of the preparations for the continental campaign, the 2026 National Women’s Football Championship – Thai Son Bac Cup will be suspended after Matchday 10 on 3 August and resume on 8 October, allowing the Vietnam women’s national team to begin their training camp. Head coach Hoàng Văn Phúc has been closely monitoring the domestic league to identify the strongest possible squad for the ASIAD 2026 campaign.
Vietnam’s best-ever result in the women’s football tournament at the Asian Games came at ASIAD 2014, when the team reached the semi-finals for the first time in history before suffering a 0–3 defeat to Japan. The journey at ASIAD 2026 is therefore expected to be highly challenging, but it also presents an opportunity for the Vietnam women’s national team to reaffirm their status against Asia’s elite.
Draw Results
- Group A: Japan, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Vietnam
- Group B: South Korea, DPR Korea, Bangladesh, Myanmar
- Group C: China, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, China
