Vietnam's under-15s will face Rwanda in the Tier C round of 32 at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan, with kick-off at 15:45 Vietnam time on 28 October. The organisers published the pairing on 27 October, SGGP reported, after Hoàng Anh Tuấn's team finished third in Group R with 9 points.
How Vietnam got here
Vietnam opened with a 3-6 defeat by Bosnia & Herzegovina, beat Brunei 6-0 and Mauritius 4-1, lost 3-4 to Iran and then beat Guyana 2-1 in their last group game, according to Tuổi Trẻ and Báo Văn Hóa. Three wins and two defeats left them with 18 goals scored and 12 conceded, behind Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iran.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 October | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 3-6 | Loss |
| 25 October | Brunei | 6-0 | Win |
| 25 October | Mauritius | 4-1 | Win |
| 26 October | Iran | 3-4 | Loss |
| 26 October | Guyana | 2-1 | Win |
Against Guyana on the evening of 26 October, Khắc Hiếu scored in the 4th minute and Phước An made it 2-0 with a backheel three minutes later, before Jadan converted a penalty for Guyana in the 15th minute, Báo Văn Hóa reported. Coach Hoàng Anh Tuấn said afterwards that the five group games had all been completely different and had taught the squad good lessons, according to Dân trí; the players were given 27 October off before turning their focus to the placement matches.
What Tier C means
Nobody is eliminated after the group stage of this eight-a-side event, which Báo Văn Hóa describes as the first tournament FIFA has staged for the under-15 age group. Teams are sorted into six tiers, A to F, by group position and keep playing until every final place is settled. Tier C holds 32 third-placed sides and decides places 65 to 96: its winner finishes 65th overall, while the title itself goes only to the Tier A winner, Tuổi Trẻ explained. France, Japan, Tunisia and Nigeria (according to Dân trí) and Scotland, Chile, Hungary and India (according to Tuổi Trẻ) are in the same tier.
Rwanda were also third, in Group Y, with three wins and two defeats, scoring 12 goals and conceding 11 in five games. Bongdaplus warned that Rwanda should not be underestimated, pointing to their ability to score.
Three Southeast Asian teams landed in Tier C, and Malaysia went one better:
| Team | Group stage | Tier | Next opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam U15 | Third in Group R, 9 points | C | Rwanda |
| Thailand U15 | Third in Group M, 9 points | C | Afghanistan |
| Indonesia U15 | Third in Group G, 7 points | C | Moldova |
| Malaysia U15 | Second in Group H | B | South Africa |
Thailand scored 13 and conceded 11, finishing behind Colombia and Slovakia, while Indonesia scored 15 and conceded 8 behind Wales and Portugal, Tuổi Trẻ reported. Malaysia's Tier B decides places 33 to 64.
What comes next
A win over Rwanda would put Vietnam into the Tier C round of 16 against the winner of Scotland vs Nicaragua; a defeat would send them into the bracket for places 81 to 96 against the loser of that tie. Bongdaplus reported that the next round is also on 28 October, in slots at 21:15 and 22:30 Vietnam time, so the team could play twice in one day. The squad will keep playing in Baku until 30 October and will leave Azerbaijan for home on 31 October, according to Dân trí. Upcoming games for Vietnam's national sides are listed under Vietnam national team fixtures.