The 2026 Second Division officially kicks off, who will secure promotion?

The 2026 National Second Division gathers 14 clubs competing from the end of March, vying for 3 slots to move up to the First Division for the 2026/27 season.

The 2026 National Second Division will officially begin at the end of March, marking a new competition among 14 teams striving to claim 3 promotion places to the National First Division in the 2026/27 season. With a dense schedule and fierce competition format, this season promises significant changes right from the qualifying rounds.

Among the 14 participating teams, 9 teams continue from the 2025 season, includingDak Lak, Hoai Duc, Lam Dong, Quang Ngai (formerly Kon Tum), PVF, Tay Ninh, Hanoi Youth, SHB Da Nang Youth, and Vinh Long. Additionally, Hue has been relegated from the 2024/25 National First Division. Four newcomers promoted from the 2025 National Third Division are Phu Dong Youth, Hanoi Police Youth, Ha Tinh Sports Training Center, and Truong Giang Gia Dinh, creating a diverse lineup for the tournament.

In the qualifying round, teams will be divided into groups and play home-and-away round-robin matches to earn points and rankings. The top two teams from each group will advance to the final round. Conversely, the two lowest-ranked teams in each group will be relegated to a lower division for the following season.

In the event of withdrawal, forfeiture, or disqualification, all results of that team’s matches (if any) will be annulled. The Vietnam Football Federation will assess the situation to determine the number of relegated teams to maintain the stability of the competition system.

The final round features the 4 best teams from the qualifiers. Matches are arranged as follows: T1 (Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up), T2 (Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up), then the two losers of T1 and T2 compete in match T3. The three winners of T1, T2, and T3 will secure promotion to the 2026/27 National First Division.

According to the schedule, the first leg of the qualifiers runs from March 24 to April 25, 2026, and the second leg from May 6 to June 7, 2026. The final round is expected between June 13 and June 16, 2026. Matches start at 3:00 PM at venues without lighting systems and 4:00 PM at stadiums with lights. The draw for the match schedule will take place at 9:30 AM on March 6, 2026, at the Vietnam Football Federation headquarters.