The U23 Gia Lai VTV Cup 2026, an international friendly tournament, was launched on 27 October at the headquarters of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) in Hanoi. It runs from 10-14 November at Pleiku stadium in Gia Lai province, where U23 Vietnam, U23 Thailand, U23 Qatar and U23 Singapore will play a single round robin of six matches. The winners receive 100,000 USD. All games will be shown live on FPT Play and on channels of Vietnam Television (VTV), according to the VFF, Bongdaplus and Tuổi Trẻ.
Schedule and prize money
U23 Vietnam open against U23 Thailand, then meet U23 Singapore and U23 Qatar:
| Date | Time | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 10 November | 19:00 | U23 Vietnam v U23 Thailand |
| 12 November | 19:00 | U23 Vietnam v U23 Singapore |
| 14 November | 19:00 | U23 Vietnam v U23 Qatar |
| Award | Prize |
|---|---|
| Winners | 100,000 USD, trophy and gold medals |
| Runners-up | 40,000 USD and silver medals |
| Third place | 20,000 USD and bronze medals |
| Best player | 2,000 USD |
| Top scorer | 1,000 USD |
| Best goalkeeper | 1,000 USD |
| Best refereeing team | 1,000 USD |
The tournament is organised by the VFF with Gia Lai's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and LPBank Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, and is part of the Gia Lai 2026 National Tourism Year. Pleiku stadium holds about 10,000 spectators, VnExpress reported. Hoàng Anh Gia Lai chief executive Nguyễn Tấn Anh said it took nearly six months to bring in the three guest teams, and passed on an invitation from club owner Đoàn Nguyên Đức to the media and fans to come to Gia Lai.
Thailand first, Qatar as the continental test
The opening game against Thailand is the headline fixture. Thanh Niên and Báo Văn Hóa recalled that U23 Vietnam beat Thailand 3-2 in the SEA Games 33 final at the Rajamangala stadium in December 2025, and Thanh Niên said Vietnam have been unbeaten against Thailand at this level for 9 years, although the Thais' possession game remains a serious challenge.
The VFF website described U23 Qatar as the next generation of a national team that has twice played at the World Cup. Báo Văn Hóa expects Singapore to offer a different tactical test. According to VnExpress, the tournament is open to players born on or after 1 January 2005.
Kim Sang-sik splits his squads
In the same November FIFA window, Vietnam's senior team play friendlies against Chinese Taipei on 11 November and Kyrgyzstan on 17 November at Thiên Trường stadium in Ninh Bình, according to Tuổi Trẻ and VnExpress, as preparation for the 2027 Asian Cup finals. Because the two events overlap, coach Kim Sang-sik will lead the senior side and an assistant will take the U23s. Bongda24h, republishing a report by Thể thao & Văn hóa, named assistant Đinh Hồng Vinh; VnExpress did not confirm a name but noted that Vinh has often been acting U23 head coach at friendly tournaments and most recently at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
VFF general secretary Nguyễn Văn Phú told the launch that the two teams were being prepared in parallel to the highest standards, and that Kim was following the U23 squad closely as well as the senior players in order to pick the best possible group for the 2027 Asian Cup, VnExpress reported. The VFF website said the Gia Lai event also serves the 2028 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers and the 2027 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, and VnExpress added the 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia.
Broadcasting and tickets
FPT Play, the VFF's sole official partner for national-team broadcasting rights since 2023, holds the rights to the U23 friendlies in Pleiku and the senior team's games at Thiên Trường. Tuổi Trẻ and Thanh Niên reported that FPT Play has agreed to share the rights with VTV, so U23 Vietnam's matches will also be on VTV channels. Tickets are sold online from 28 October to 4 November at 200,000, 300,000 and 400,000 dong, VnExpress reported.
What comes next
U23 Vietnam regroup on 8 November, Thanh Niên reported, two days before the opener against Thailand at 19:00 on 10 November. After the November window, the senior team plan friendlies against Japan on 30 December and Qatar in early January 2027, according to VnExpress. In group E of the Asian Cup 2027 they then meet the UAE in Riyadh on 11 January, South Korea on 15 January and Yemen on 20 January, under the AFC schedule cited by Thanh Niên. U23 players who impress in Pleiku could earn a call-up for the continental finals. Follow both teams at Vietnam national team fixtures.