Vietnam U23 Team: Aiming to reach the continental and world level

The Vietnam U23 football team has made history by winning the Southeast Asian U23 Championship for the third consecutive time. This achievement is the result of a thorough investment in youth training, and at the same time, it is the basis for Vietnamese football to confidently create a generation of young players aiming for further goals, reaching the continental and world levels.

Vietnam U23 team convincingly won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship. Photo: VFF

Impressive achievements

At the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship in Indonesia, U23 Vietnam won all 4 matches. The difficulty of the matches gradually increased, but coach Kim Sang Sik and his team excelled to reach the highest position. The team won 3-0 against U23 Laos, 2-1 against U23 Cambodia in the group stage, then defeated U23 Philippines 1-0 in the semi-finals.

In the final match against host U23 Indonesia, Nguyen Cong Phuong's only goal helped U23 Vietnam win 1-0 and become the champion. With this result, U23 Vietnam became the most successful team in the tournament, winning 3 out of 5 times (accounting for 60% of the total). This is an extremely impressive ratio, affirming the leading position of Vietnamese youth football in the region.

Striker Cong Phuong (No. 18) scored the only goal for U23 Vietnam in the final match of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship. Photo: VFF

Coach Kim Sang-sik said: “The players strictly followed the tactics set by the coaching staff, focusing on defense and making the most of opportunities from counterattacks as well as set pieces. I am proud of the students’ resilient fighting spirit.”

According to commentator Vu Quang Huy, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Cable Television Corporation, emphasized: “This title is of great significance to the country’s football, because it reflects the right investment direction for youth training. Dominating a youth tournament for 3 consecutive years is very difficult because the force changes constantly. The success of U23 Vietnam is a good sign for youth football”.

Stepping stone for the future

Expert Phan Anh Tu believes that after consecutive successes in Southeast Asia, Vietnamese football needs to aim for higher goals, conquering the continental playground and further, the World Cup.

Coach Pham Minh Duc - youth training expert assessed that the current generation of U23 Vietnam players has a lot of potential and will be the backbone of the national team in the next 2-3 years. "Many players like Ly Duc, Van Khang, Hieu Minh, Van Truong, Xuan Bac, Dinh Bac... will be more mature and have the ability to compete better with Thailand or Indonesia. That is the way to build a force for Vietnamese football. Academies like Hanoi, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, PVF, The Cong Viettel , Song Lam Nghe An... need to take this as motivation to train many players to succeed Vietnamese football", coach Pham Minh Duc emphasized.

Sharing the same view, football commentator Vu Quang Huy affirmed: “U23 Vietnam deserved to win thanks to reasonable tactics and calmness against Indonesia’s aggressive play. However, the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games will be more difficult, so we must continue to learn and strive.”

President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Tran Quoc Tuan said that the results achieved showed the progress of the whole team, and at the same time added confidence and courage to the players.

Striker Nguyen Dinh Bac won the title of Best Player of the tournament and is believed to be a mainstay of the Vietnam national team in the future. Photo: VFF

Goals Ahead

The immediate goal of U23 Vietnam is to pass the qualifying round to win a ticket to the 2026 AFC U23 Championship in September. At the same time, the big task in 2025 is to win the 33rd SEA Games Gold Medal in Thailand.

Notably, at the 2019 and 2022 SEA Games, the Vietnam U23 team won the championship when the Organizing Committee allowed the use of overage players. The upcoming 33rd SEA Games will be an even bigger challenge as the team is mainly composed of young players. The VFF has clearly identified the importance of this tournament since the beginning of 2025, and has worked closely with Coach Kim Sang-sik to prepare the team.

In 2024, many promising young players have been regularly called up to compete at the national team level. The U22 Vietnam team was also given the opportunity to participate in an international tournament in China, where they faced strong opponents such as China, Uzbekistan and Japan, thereby accumulating many valuable lessons. These are the factors that promise to create a solid framework for the U23 Vietnam team at the 33rd SEA Games.

VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan affirmed: “With strong investment and the right strategy, Vietnamese youth football not only creates a solid foundation but also ensures stability and long-term development for the national team.”

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/doi-tuyen-u23-viet-nam-huong-den-muc-tieu-vuon-tam-chau-luc-va-the-gioi-710947.html