Vietnam's U23s led by head coach Kim Sang Sik fly to Qatar on December 26 to prepare for AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026. (Photo: VFF)
The team travelled from Hanoi on a direct flight to Doha and is due to arrive later the same day. Training is scheduled to start on December 27 after a brief recovery period.
During the five-day camp in Qatar, Vietnam U23 will play a friendly against Syria U23. Following the match, the coaching staff are set to trim the squad from 25 to 23 players for official registration.
On January 1, 2026, the team will move on to Saudi Arabia, the host nation of the tournament, to start their campaign.
Vietnam U23 have been drawn in Group A alongside Jordan U23, Kyrgyzstan U23 and hosts Saudi Arabia U23. They will open their campaign against Jordan U23 on January 6, 2026.
Vietnam U23 will face Kyrgyzstan U23 three days later before wrapping up the group stage against hosts Saudi Arabia U23 on January 12.
The top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals on January 16 and 17, with the semi-finals scheduled for January 20 and the final on January 24.
