AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers: Vietnam placed in Pot 1 seed group

Vietnam currently ranks fifth among Asian U23 teams, following Uzbekistan, Japan, Iraq, and the Republic of Korea.

Vietnam currently ranks fifth among Asian U23 teams, following Uzbekistan, Japan, Iraq, and the Republic of Korea. The Pot 1 status is based on accumulated results from the past three editions of the tournament (2020, 2022, 2024), with Vietnam recently reaching the quarterfinals in 2024.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has scheduled the official draw for May 29, at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 44 national U23 teams will participate in the qualification round, divided into 11 groups. The qualifiers will take place from September 1–9, in a centralised format.

The group winners along with the four best second-placed teams will advance to the final tournament, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia in 2026. As hosts, Saudi Arabia qualify automatically.

Teams will be seeded into four pots based on a ranking system approved by the AFC. Additionally, 11 nations hosting qualification groups, including Vietnam will be drawn first from a separate pot to ensure one host per group.

The confirmed group hosts are Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Qatar, Tajikistan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Vietnam.

Joining Vietnam in Pot 1 are Uzbekistan, Japan, Iraq, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Qatar, Thailand, Jordan, Tajikistan, and the UAE. This seeding is expected to give Vietnam a more favourable path in the qualification campaign./.

VNA