Major challenges ahead for young footballers in 2025
VOV.VN - Young Vietnamese football teams are entering 2025 with several key tournaments to play at both regional and continental levels.
A golden chance for U17 team
The U17 national team will be the first to compete in the AFC U17 Asian Cup, scheduled for April 2025. This tournament will determine qualification for the FIFA U17 World Cup 2025.
As FIFA has decided to expand the competition format, the 2025 U17 World Cup will feature a total of 48 teams, with 8 slots for Asia, excluding hosts. This presents a valuable opportunity for Vietnam’s U17 players to compete on the international stage and gain experience against teams from different footballing backgrounds.
However, before dreaming of the World Cup, U17 Vietnam must first navigate the group stage of the AFC U17 Asian Cup. As a Pot 3 seeded team, Vietnam are likely to face strong opponents, making it challenging to secure a top-two finish in the group to qualify for the World Cup.
Despite the challenges, this tournament provides a golden chance for young Vietnamese players to showcase their talent and push Vietnamese football onto the global stage by the end of 2025.
A busy year for U23 Vietnam
Vietnam’s senior national team began 2025 on a high note by winning the ASEAN Cup after defeating Thailand in both legs of the final.
For the rest of the year, the senior team will focus on the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers – third round, where they have been drawn into a relatively manageable group alongside Laos, Malaysia, and Nepal. This creates an opportunity for head coach Kim Sang-sik to integrate U23 players into the senior squad to enable them to gain valuable experience.
In September 2025, Vietnam will begin AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, with the aim of advancing to the finals. They have reached the final round of the tournament five consecutive times, including a runner-up finish in 2018.
In late 2025, the U23 team will test their muscles at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Thailand. Their ultimate goal will be reclaiming the gold medal, a feat achieved in 2019 and 2022, though Vietnam settled for bronze in 2023.
SEA Games 2025: A tough battle awaits
The SEA Games 2025 will be a major test for U23 Vietnam, especially with hosts Thailand that are Vietnam’s archrivals. Thailand have recently failed to advance past the 2026 World Cup second qualifying round and tasted a bitter defeat at the ASEAN Cup 2024. As a result, U23 Thailand will be highly motivated to win gold on their home soil.
In addition, U23 Indonesia will be strong contenders. At the recent ASEAN Cup, coach Shin Tae-yong fielded a squad primarily composed of U21 players, signaling a long-term strategy aimed at regional tournaments in 2025, including the SEA Games.
With fierce competition from regional powerhouses, U23 Vietnam will need to be at their best to reclaim SEA Games gold and continue their strong performances on the continental stage.
