Vietnam reveals its 'core force' aiming for the 2030 World Cup

Recent moves by Vietnam's football leadership indicate that a “core team” is gradually taking shape, targeting the long-term goal of competing for a World Cup spot in the near future.

On the afternoon of December 24, the President of the Vietnam Football Federation, Tran Quoc Tuan, met with the entire U23 Vietnam squad before their training camp in Qatar, where coach Kim Sang-sik and his team are preparing for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals. During this meeting, the federation leader praised the team’s fighting spirit, determination, and achievements at the 33rd SEA Games, while emphasizing the need for the squad to quickly move past their victory emotions and focus on the more demanding upcoming tasks.

According to the VFF President, the AFC U23 Asian Cup features the continent's top youth teams, requiring serious preparation, strict discipline, and resilient spirit. He affirmed that this is both a challenge and a valuable opportunity for young Vietnamese players to gain experience, improve their skills, and engage with top-level football environments.

Notably, President Tran Quoc Tuan stressed that the current U23 Vietnam squad is the backbone aiming toward the national team’s long-term objectives, especially the 2030 World Cup qualifying campaigns. This means each player must be fully aware of their responsibility, playing not only for immediate results but also for the long-term development journey of Vietnamese football.

In reality, the progress of U23 Vietnam over recent times has been clearly cumulative. From the Southeast Asian U23 Championship, AFC U23 qualifiers, 33rd SEA Games to the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup, each tournament serves as a crucial stepping stone. Successfully completing these short-term missions has laid the foundation for the team to pursue bigger goals, including the dream of the World Cup.

Regarding preparations, U23 Vietnam will train in Qatar and play a friendly against U23 Syria before heading to Saudi Arabia for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals. In this tournament, U23 Vietnam is placed in a challenging Group A alongside host Saudi Arabia – the 2022 AFC U23 Asian champions, U23 Jordan, and U23 Kyrgyzstan. According to the schedule, U23 Vietnam will face Jordan on January 6, Kyrgyzstan on January 9, and conclude the group stage against hosts Saudi Arabia on January 12.

Alongside U23, U17 Vietnam is also showing positive signs for the future of national football, thereby adding more successor resources for the national team. Coach Cristiano Roland’s squad has won all matches in the 2026 AFC U17 Asian qualifiers, scoring 30 goals without conceding any, thus securing a spot in the continental finals. Players like Manh Cuong, Manh Quan, Nguyen Luc, Van Duong, and Sy Bach demonstrate long-term potential and readiness to supplement older age groups in the coming years.

The parallel development of U23 and U17 reflects a clear strategic vision in Vietnamese football: building a connected development axis from youth teams to the national team. Among these, U23 Vietnam is the most important bridge, carrying performance responsibilities on the continental stage while gradually preparing for bigger goals like World Cup qualifiers.

With close attention from the VFF, a clear development roadmap, and a young squad full of potential, Vietnam’s core team for the World Cup dream is gradually emerging, starting from the current U23 generation.