Youth team step up preparations for FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival
VOV.VN - Vietnamese players are preparing for the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan, where a new eight-a-side format will give young players more opportunities to develop their technical skills and gain international experience.
The team are currently training at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre with a squad of 34 players. Head coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his staff will assess the players’ performances before selecting the final 14-man squad for the tournament.
Each training session serves as a test for the players to improve their fitness, technical skills and coordination, and compete for a place in the final line-up.
Unlike traditional 11-a-side football, the tournament will use an eight-a-side format designed to give players more touches of the ball and more opportunities to contribute to both attack and defence.
FIFA has designed the tournament as part of its global youth development strategy, guided by the motto “Give Every Talent a Chance”. Rather than focusing solely on results, the competition aims to give young players from around the world meaningful international match experience and opportunities to learn from different football cultures.
According to FIFA, the tournament will feature two stages. Teams will first compete in a round-robin format, with the results determining their placement in the second stage. They will then be assigned to six performance tiers, ensuring that every team continue to play throughout the competition.
Each tier will have winners, with the Tier A champion crowned the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival champion.
Vietnam have been drawn in Group R alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Guyana, Iran and Mauritius. Competing against teams from different regions will expose the young players to a variety of playing styles and tactical approaches.
The FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 is scheduled to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from October 24 to 30.
Vietnam U15 to face Japanese, RoK sides at international friendly in Jeju
VOV.VN - Vietnam’s youth football will be represented by PVF U15, who are set to compete against a series of Japanese and South Korean opponents at the GROUND.N Stove League 2026 in Jeju, the Republic of Korea (RoK) from January 14 to 22.
