Opening ceremony of the 2026 National U13 Football Championship – Yamaha Cup held in Hai Phong
On the afternoon of July 3, the opening ceremony of the Finals of the 2026 National U13 Football Championship – Yamaha Cup took place at Lach Tray Stadium (17 Lach Tray Street, Gia Vien Ward, Hai Phong City). The ceremony was held in a solemn yet concise manner, officially kicking off one of Vietnam’s most eagerly anticipated youth football tournaments, eagerly awaited by young football enthusiasts across the country each summer.
06/07/2026 10:33:28
Among the distinguished guests attending the opening ceremony were Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, FIFA National Team Competitions Committee Member, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee Member, and President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF); Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hoi, Standing Member of the VFF Executive Committee; and Ms. Dinh Thi Thu Trang, Deputy General Secretary of the VFF and Co-Chair of the Tournament Organising Committee.
Representing the Tournament Organising Committee were Mr. Nguyen Phan Khue—writer and journalist, Member of the Central Executive Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Member of the Central Council of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organization, Editor-in-Chief of Thieu nien Tien phong va Nhi dong Newspaper, and Head of the Tournament Organising Committee—and Mr. Phan Viet Hung, Permanent Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Thieu nien Tien phong va Nhi dong Newspaper and Permanent Deputy Head of the Tournament Organising Committee.
Representing the tournament’s sponsors were Mr. Okutani Masahiro, General Director of Yamaha Motor Vietnam Co., Ltd.; Mr. Vo Tran Huy, Senior Director of the Nationwide 3S Division at Yamaha Motor Vietnam Co., Ltd.; Mr. Trinh Mai Lam, National Marketing and Direct Sales Director of Yamaha Motor Vietnam Co., Ltd.; Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, Regional Director for Hai Phong of the Ocean Edu International English System; and Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen Linh, Director of Ocean Edu An Duong.
Representing the host city was Ms. Pham Thi To Trang, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Deputy Head of the Tournament Organising Committee.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Phan Khue—writer, journalist, and Head of the Tournament Organising Committee—said: “We firmly believe that football pitches like these will continue to nurture talented young players who will go on to achieve even greater success for Vietnamese football, following in the footsteps of national team stars such as Nguyen Dinh Bac, Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Do Duy Manh, and Doan Van Hau.”
The tournament’s opening match followed the ceremony, with hosts Hai Phong claiming a 1–0 victory over T&T Nghe An. The only goal of the match was scored by Duc Hieu, who found the net with a superb header to give the home side a winning start to their campaign.
Earlier in the day, the opening round of matches in Groups A, B, C, and D produced a series of exciting contests. The results were as follows:
- Becamex Ho Chi Minh City 2–4 Truong Tuoi Dong Nai Football Academy
- Dong A Thanh Hoa 2–1 Gia Lai
- Ho Chi Minh City 0–1 The Cong Viettel
- Song Lam Nghe An 3–1 Cong An Ha Noi
- Dak Lak 0–1 Bac Ninh FC
- Dong Nai 1–2 Hanoi FC
The opening round delivered several closely contested encounters, providing an exciting start to the 2026 National U13 Football Championship – Yamaha Cup as the teams began their quest for a place in the knockout stage.
