Vietnam's under-15 team, coached by Hoàng Anh Tuấn, will open their FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 campaign against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 24 October 2026. It is the first of five Group R games in three days; Brunei, Mauritius, Iran and Guyana follow, according to the schedule published by Báo Văn Hóa. Vietnam will then be placed in a level-based tier for four or five more matches before the event ends on 30 October 2026.
Vietnam's first-phase schedule
| Date | Time (Báo Văn Hóa schedule) | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| 24 October 2026 | 14:30 | Bosnia & Herzegovina |
| 25 October 2026 | 13:15 | Brunei |
| 25 October 2026 | 20:00 | Mauritius |
| 26 October 2026 | 12:00 | Iran |
| 26 October 2026 | 18:45 | Guyana |
Báo Văn Hóa's schedule does not state a time zone. For the opener, VTV and Bongda24h give a kickoff of 11:30 local time on 24 October 2026, with the opening ceremony at Baku Crystal Hall that evening. On 23 October 2026 the squad completed registration, attended technical meetings and trained at the Hovsan ground from 14:00 to 15:00 local time.
Báo Văn Hóa says every match is streamed free worldwide on FIFA+ via DAZN.
A different kind of World Cup
This is the first edition of the event, with 189 FIFA member associations taking part. VTV notes that 78 of them are appearing at a FIFA World Cup of any level, men's or women's, for the first time. Under the slogan Give Every Talent a Chance, results are secondary to development.
The rules are built for the age group: eight players a side, two 20-minute halves, unlimited substitutions and kick-ins instead of throw-ins. Báo Văn Hóa adds that pitches measure 68 x 47m and offside applies only from a line 14m from the goal line. Nobody is knocked out: first-phase results sort teams into Tiers A to F, and FIFA guarantees every team at least nine matches.
Why it matters for Vietnam
Nine or more games in a week against varied styles is rare international exposure for players aged 14 and 15. According to VTV, Tuấn said technique and fitness matter, but so does thinking: he wants players to solve problems on the pitch themselves, vary their tactics and be creative, which he sees as the foundation for their development now and later. Off the pitch, FIFA runs education sessions, meetings with football legends and community programmes. Read more in Vietnam's U15 squad leaves for Azerbaijan.
What comes next
After the Guyana game on 26 October 2026, Vietnam will learn their tier and play four or five ranking matches before the tournament closes on 30 October 2026. Follow all age groups on our Vietnam national team fixtures page.