Sport

The AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 third-place match on late January 23 (Vietnam time) concluded with a victory for Vietnam, whose players overcame the Republic of Korea (RoK) in a nerve-wracking shootout.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the referee team for the third-place playoff at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 between U23 Vietnam and U23 South Korea.

Vietnam claimed another gold medal at the 13th ASEAN Para Games on January 21, with swimmer Vi Thi Hang breaking the Games record in the women’s 50m backstroke (S6-7).

Vietnam U23 were beaten 3-0 by China U23 in the semifinal of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup on January 20 in Saudi Arabia, missing out on a place in the final.

Ho Chi Minh City has installed six large LED screens along Nguyen Hue pedestrian street to allow residents and visitors to watch Vietnam’s U23 semi-final match against China on Tuesday evening.

The national team will participate in the 2026 World Chess Olympiad which is scheduled to take place in Uzbekistan from September 15 to 28.

Vietnam U23 will face China U23 in the AFC U23 Asian Cup semifinal without midfielder Yang Haoyu, who is suspended after accumulating two yellow cards earlier in the tournament.

Vietnam U23 booked a place in the semifinals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 after a dramatic 3-2 victory over UAE U23 on January 16 at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Vietnam have been drawn in the same group as Indonesia and Singapore at the ASEAN Championship 2026 (ASEAN Hyundai Cup™ 2026), following an official draw held in Jakarta on January 15.

Vietnam pulled off a major upset at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026, defeating tournament hosts Saudi Arabia 1-0 in their match to secure a place in the quarter-finals with a perfect record.

Vietnam claimed a 2-1 victory over Kyrgyzstan in the second match of Group A on January 9, strengthening their chance of advancing to the knockout stage of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

Vietnam’s U16 PVF will meet youth teams from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain at Aspire Academy in Qatar, a venue cluster set to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup from 2025 to 2029.

Vietnam U23 opened their AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 campaign with a composed 2-0 victory over Jordan U23, underlining the squad’s tactical discipline and match control.

Head coach Kim Sang-sik said his Vietnamese team are confident as they target a place in the quarter-finals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026, ahead of their opening match against Jordan.

Vietnam U23 enter the U23 Asian Cup 2026 with growing expectations, having won the gold medal at the SEA Games 33.

Vietnam lost 2-1 to Syria in a closed-door friendly on December 30, a match aimed at testing squad depth and tactical options ahead of the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia.

Midfielder Hoang Duc won the Vietnam Golden Ball 2025, marking the third time in his career he has claimed the country’s most prestigious individual football honor.

Vietnam U23 departed for Qatar on December 26 to begin a training camp in preparation for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 finals.

Marksmen of the national shooting team are gearing up to compete for medals at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2026, scheduled for February 2-14 in India.