HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will defend their title on home turf after the Southeast Asian Football Federation  (AFF) officially gave the country the right to host the AFF U23 Championship 2027 in a recent meeting in Japan.

At the meeting, part of the AFC Extraordinary Congress 2026, the AFF Competitions Committee chaired by Trần Quốc Tuấn, president of the Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF), delegates focused on key issues regarding the organisation and schedules for tournaments of 2026, while also reviewing plans and strategic directions for AFF competitions in the upcoming years. 

It will be the first time that Việt Nam will organise the regional major tournament for youth players. As the hosts, Việt Nam will be strong favourites to take the fourth gold medal in a row, setting a remarkable record in the ASEAN football community.

Việt Nam won the 2025 edition trophy after beating hosts Indonesia 1-0 in the final with the only goal scored by striker Nguyễn Công Phương in the 37th minute at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. They also won the 2022 and 2023 tournaments in Cambodia and Thailand, respectively.

The 2027 championship will be held in July next year, about one month after the AFC U23 Cup 2028 qualification.

According to the VFF, the AFF’s decision to grant Việt Nam the hosting rights reflects its confidence in the federation’s reputation, experience and ability to organise international competitions.

Being the hosts for the first time, Việt Nam would aim not only to successfully organise a regional-level tournament but also to foster the development of youth football and strengthen exchanges among the football communities of Southeast Asia.

Prior to their title-defending campaign, Việt Nam will have a warm-up event at an international friendly tournament from November 10-14 in Gia Lai Province. 

Việt Nam will play strong opponents – Qatar, Thailand and Singapore – at the Pleiku Stadium.

In other news, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed at its congress in Tokyo that the 2027 Asian Cup would proceed as scheduled.

 

Previously, the biennial event was rumoured to be delayed to early 2028 or moved to other locality due to certain security developments in the Middle East and the Saudi Arabian region.

However, at the congress, it was decided to maintain the original plan in January, 2027, in Saudi Arabia, and the decision was supported by the majority of the participating nations. 

Kim Sang-sik and his players will play in Group E against the UAE on January 11, South Korea on January 15 and Yemen five days later.

To ensure the best possible preparation for the Cup, VFF will organise an international friendly tournament during the November FIFA international window, at the Thiên Trường Stadium in Ninh Bình Province.

Guests are Chinese Taipei and Kyrgyzstan, with matches being held on November 11-15. — VNS