Vietnam U15 head to Azerbaijan for FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026

Vietnam's under-15 team, coached by Hoàng Anh Tuấn, were scheduled to fly to Azerbaijan on the evening of 21 October for the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026, which runs from 24 to 30 October. The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) said the 14-player squad was cut from 34 who began training on 22 September at the national youth football training centre. Vietnam are in Group R with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Guyana, Iran and Mauritius.

A new FIFA event with eight-a-side football

According to the VFF, this is the first edition of the tournament, run under the slogan "Give Every Talent a Chance". It uses a festival model: teams keep playing through several phases rather than being knocked out early, giving young players more match time and international contact. SGGP added that on some days teams play twice, morning and afternoon.

Matches are eight-a-side. The government sports portal tdtt.gov.vn noted the smaller pitch, faster tempo and tighter space compared with 11-a-side football. "Football needs technique, fitness and skill, but thinking is extremely important too," Tuấn told the VFF. "Players must be able to solve problems on the pitch themselves and create tactical variations. We want to encourage them to be creative and to make the unexpected happen."

Bongda24h said Tuấn, who has previously coached Vietnam at U17, U19, U20 and U23 level, wants players who can cover several positions, including goalkeepers who help build play on the smaller pitch.

Who is going

Bongda+ published the squad with each player's club or academy. PVF and Hà Nội supply three players each, Thể Công Viettel two, and Khánh Hòa, HAGL, SLNA, Tây Ninh, Becamex TP.HCM and Ninh Bình one each. Goalkeepers are Vũ Nhật Minh and Nguyễn Trung Đạt; the forward line includes Trương Vận Tài, Đỗ Quang Hưng and Võ Anh Hào. For Vietnamese academies it is a rare chance for 15-year-olds to face opponents from Europe, Asia, Africa and South America within three days of group matches.

Group R schedule

Bongda+ lists the following dates. Kick-off times were published without a time zone, so we give dates only.

What comes next

Vietnam open against Bosnia and Herzegovina on 24 October, then play twice on each of the next two days. The festival ends on 30 October. Read our earlier pieces on the send-off for the U15 squad and Hoàng Anh Tuấn on the eight-a-side format, and follow all national teams on our Vietnam national teams page.