VOV.VN - Vietnam has drawn widespread international praise after opening their AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Jordan on January 5, a result that surprised regional media and placed Vietnam at the top of Group A.

VOV.VN - Vietnam U23 opened their AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 campaign with a composed 2-0 victory over Jordan U23, underlining the squad’s tactical discipline and match control.

VOV.VN - Ho Chi Minh City chess player Pham Tran Gia Phuc claimed the championship in the Grandmaster section at the Grandmaster–International Master Chess Tournament 2026, which concluded in Hanoi on January 5.

VOV.VN - Head coach Kim Sang-sik said his Vietnamese team are well prepared and confident as they target a place in the quarter-finals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026, ahead of their opening match against Jordan.

VOV.VN - Vietnam has been named among the Top 10 nominees for the Best Women’s National Team in the World for a second consecutive year, according to Futsal Planet, one of the world’s most prestigious futsal websites.

VOV.VN - Vietnam are grappling with a serious attacking personnel crisis just days before their opening match against Jordan at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026, following fresh injury concerns surrounding key strikers.

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.

The 13th ASEAN Para Games, scheduled for January 15-27 in Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand, is expected to be a fiercely competitive arena, bringing together the region’s top athletes with disabilities.

VOV.VN - Vietnam U23 enter the U23 Asian Cup 2026 with growing expectations, having won the gold medal at the SEA Games 33 and returned to training after only a brief break to prepare for Vietnam football’s first major tournament of 2026.

VOV.VN - Representatives of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) visited Vietnam U23 shortly before the start of the U23 Asian Cup 2026 finals, during which several competition-related issues were discussed.

VOV.VN - FIFA has confirmed a revised qualification format for the 2027 FIFA U20 World Cup, a move that increases Asia’s representation and opens up additional opportunities for Vietnam to return to the global youth stage.

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s national team began 2026 with high-intensity training sessions in Qatar on January 1 before travelling to Saudi Arabia for their opening match of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 finals against Jordan five days later.

VOV.VN - Nguyen Thi Oanh won the women’s title, while Hoang Nguyen Thanh claimed the men’s crown at the Vietnam International Half Marathon (VIHM) 2026 in Hanoi on January 1.

VOV.VN - With a total score of 1,272, shooter Trinh Thu Vinh was announced as Vietnam’s most outstanding athlete of 2025 in a national poll organised by the Sports Authority of Vietnam on December 31.

VOV.VN - The Hanoi GM and IM Chess Tournament 2026, jointly organized by the Vietnam Chess Federation and the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, got underway on December 31 at the Future Grandmaster Chess Club in Hanoi.

VOV.VN - Vietnam lost 2-1 to Syria in a closed-door friendly on December 30, a match aimed at testing squad depth and tactical options ahead of the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia.

VOV.VN - Head coach Kim Sang Sik is stepping up preparations as Vietnam U23 will play the tournament’s opening match at the AFC U23 Asian Cup.

VOV.VN - Vietnam will take on Syria in a closed-door friendly at 7:00 p.m. (Vietnam time) on December 30 – a match seen as a crucial final test for head coach Kim Sang-sik’s squad ahead of the coming AFC U23 Asian Cup finals.

The 2025 Can Tho Open Sailing Regatta was held on December 29, offering an engaging sporting event that helps showcase the beauty of the Mekong Delta province’s riverine landscape to domestic and international visitors, while meeting the public’s cultural and spiritual needs.

VOV.VN - TV360, an online TV platform developed by military-run Viettel Telecom, has secured its exclusive broadcasting rights for a series of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s tournaments featuring Vietnam’s participation for the next three years.

VOV.VN - The south-central province of Khanh Hoa is scheduled to play host to the International Kitesurfing Festival 2025 at My Hoa beach from January 15–17, 2026, according to a local official.

VOV.VN - Vietnamese player Nguyen Thanh Bao claimed the silver medal at the International Xiangqi Masters Tournament – 7th Phuong Trang Cup, which concluded at Da Nang Times Square on December 28.

VOV.VN - Midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai has become Vietnam’s most valuable footballer, according to the latest market valuations published by Transfermarkt, a Germany-based website specialising in player transfer values and statistics.

The first Ninh Binh GM/IM/FM Chess Tournament 2025 concluded on December 27 after eight days of intense play in the blitz and standard formats.

VOV.VN - Midfielder Hoang Duc won the Vietnam Golden Ball 2025, marking the third time in his career he has claimed the country’s most prestigious individual football honor, at an awards ceremony held on December 26 in Ho Chi Minh City.

VOV.VN - Vietnam U23 departed for Qatar on December 26 to begin a training camp in preparation for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 finals.

VOV.VN - Vietnamese football has been described as a source of pride for Southeast Asia by Winston Lee, Secretary-General of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), during the Vietnam Football Federation’s (VFF) 2025 annual congress.

VOV.VN - 2025 marked a significant year for Vietnamese sport, with local athletes recording a number of milestone achievements in both domestic and international competitions. The following highlights were selected by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

VOV.VN - The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has decided not to field its U23 team at the 2026 Asian Games (ASIAD), opting instead to send the national U21 side to the tournament, a move seen as part of a long-term development strategy.

VOV.VN - Vietnam will take on Indonesia in the ASEAN Boys’ U19 Futsal Championship 2025 semifinals after falling 1-2 to Thailand in a Group A match on December 25.