National Children's Football Tournament Kicks Off: A Playground for Young Talents

This marks the 29th edition of the tournament, organized by the Vietnam Football Federation in collaboration with Thieu nien Tien phong and Nhi dong Newspaper.

This year's tournament attracts 51 children's football teams from 27 provinces and cities nationwide. The qualifying round is divided into three regions, taking place in Dak Lak (June 2–9), Hai Phong (June 6–16), and Quang Ngai (June 10–22). After the qualifiers, the top 24 teams will advance to the national finals, scheduled to be held in Dak Lak Province from July 21 to August 6, 2026.

The qualifiers for Region III, in the Dak Lak group, feature 16 teams. The teams are divided into four groups, playing a single round-robin format to earn points. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the finals.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Le Hoang Phu, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dak Lak Province and Deputy Head of the local organizing committee, stated that the National Children's Football Tournament is a traditional sports playground of great significance, contributing to discovering and nurturing young football talents for the country. Organizing the tournament jointly is an opportunity for Dak Lak Province to showcase its friendly and hospitable land and people, while also promoting the development of school sports movements.

“Participating in the tournament are the outstanding representatives of the young generation of our homeland and country. The organizing committee hopes that the athletes will compete with confidence, honesty, solidarity, and sportsmanship; strictly adhere to the tournament regulations and the organizing committee's rules; deliver exciting matches, beautiful plays, and emotional moments for the audience; and contribute to building a positive image of the tournament,” Mr. Le Hoang Phu emphasized.

Journalist Phan Viet Hung, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Thieu nien Tien phong and Nhi dong Newspaper, stated that the National Children's Football Tournament is a national competition held annually. This year, the tournament marks nearly three decades of steadfast efforts to seek and nurture young talents for the country's football development. Many talented players have grown through this tournament, becoming pillars of the national team, such as Duy Manh, Quang Hai, Van Thanh, Dinh Trong, Thanh Chung, Van Hau, Van Toan, Tuan Hai, Hai Long, and others. A new feature of this year's tournament is that the organizing committee has decided to allow each team to add three 9-year-old players, who can even be in the starting lineup. This change stems from professional needs and after consulting various models, aiming to create more opportunities for young talents, helping them mature and prepare for higher youth levels.

Right after the opening ceremony, the tournament's inaugural match between the host team U11 Dak Lak and U11 Phu Dong took place in a lively atmosphere, with enthusiastic support from a large audience. With a cohesive playing style, U11 Dak Lak secured a convincing victory with a score of 3–0.