Festival U13 Women’s 2026: Hong Ngu Dong Thap Lift the Trophy

Attending the final and the awards ceremony of the Festival U13 Women’s 2026 were Mr. Hồ Hồng Thạch, Member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of VPF; Mr. Ngô Bé, President of the Dong Thap Football Federation; Mr. Vương Thanh Trung, General Secretary of the Dong Thap Football Federation; Mr. Nguyễn Văn Tuấn, Vice Chairman of the Cao Lanh Ward People’s Committee; Mr. Nguyễn Đình Tiến, President of the Vinh Long Football Federation; Mr. Nguyễn Ngọc Phát, General Secretary of the Vinh Long Football Federation; Mr. Nguyễn Hồng Phúc, Chief of Office of the Can Tho Football Federation; Mr. Lương Hoàng Minh, Vice Principal of the Dong Thap School for Gifted Physical Education and Sports; and Mr. Eric Abrams, FIFA Expert.

The final was contested between Thoi Lai Can Tho and Hong Ngu Dong Thap. With a technically stronger squad and better-coordinated style of play, Hong Ngu Dong Thap immediately took the initiative in attack after kick-off. Their sustained pressure forced Thoi Lai Can Tho to sit deep and defend in an effort to keep a clean sheet.

However, the Can Tho side could only hold out for half of the opening period. In the 16th minute, Ngoc Tien produced a fine curling finish to open the scoring for Hong Ngu Dong Thap. Before half-time, Ngoc Tien struck again from close range to double the lead to 2-0.

In the second half, Hong Ngu Dong Thap continued to control the game and maintain the initiative. In the 31st minute, Ngoc Vy produced a fine long-range finish to make it 3-0. She struck again in the 45th minute to complete the scoring and seal a 4-0 victory for Hong Ngu Dong Thap, securing the championship title.

In the third-place match, Sen Hong Dong Thap defeated Thuong Phuoc Dong Thap 4-0, with goals from My Ngoc (6’, 46’), Kim Ngan (37’) and Nhu Y (42’).

Earlier, on the evening of 26 September, following the conclusion of the semi-finals, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) organised a Gala closing ceremony attended by players from all eight participating teams.

At the Gala, FIFA Expert Eric Abrams shared his views on the importance of the Festival U13 Women’s 2026 in the development of women’s football in particular and football in general, not only in Vietnam but around the world. The FIFA representative encouraged the young players to continue training after the festival. He noted that even if they do not go on to become professional players, they could pursue other roles in football, such as referees or coaches, or become passionate supporters of the sport. Above all, he emphasised that playing and training in football is also an effective way to maintain good health.

Also at the Gala, on behalf of the Vietnam Football Federation, Deputy General Secretary and Head of the Tournament Organising Committee Nguyễn Thanh Hà expressed his appreciation to the Dong Thap Football Federation, Dong Thap University and other relevant organisations for their coordination and support in successfully staging the Festival U13 Women’s 2026.

Deputy General Secretary Nguyễn Thanh Hà also praised the efforts and performances of all the teams on the pitch, while expressing his hope that the clubs would regard the festival as a foundation and source of motivation to continue training and make meaningful contributions to the development of Vietnamese women’s football in the future.

Speaking at the Gala, the players expressed their hope that the Festival U13 Women’s would continue to be held in the future, providing young female players with more opportunities to meet, compete and gain valuable match experience. They noted that youth women’s football players have relatively few opportunities to compete and exchange experience, making such tournaments important for their development and improvement.