Vietnam's national U17 football team secured a place at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026 for the first time after defeating United Arab Emirates national U17 football team 3-2 on in the final Group C match of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 in Saudi Arabia on early May 14 (Vietnam time).

Midfielder Nguyen Minh Thuy (number 8) celebrates after scoring the second goal in Vietnam's 3-2 victory over UAE in the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup group stage, May 14, 2026.

The win saw Vietnam finish the top of Group C, while the Republic of Korea finished second with five points after a goalless draw with Yemen in the other group match. The RoK team also advanced to the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup.

Heading into their final group-stage match, Vietnam needed a victory to secure direct qualification for the tournament.

However, the team coached by Cristiano Roland suffered an early setback when Sultan Nasir Al Mheiri opened the scoring for the UAE just 18 seconds into the game following a scramble inside the penalty area.

Despite conceding early, Vietnam quickly regained composure and pushed forward aggressively in search of an equaliser.

Their efforts paid off in the 41st minute when Nguyen Luc curled a superb free-kick through the defensive wall to level the score at 1-1 before halftime.

Vietnam maintained their attacking momentum after the break. In the 48th minute, Van Duong finished clinically after a cut-back pass from Dai Nhan to put Vietnam ahead 2-1.

The UAE responded strongly eight minutes later as Adam Mahrous produced an impressive solo effort before curling the ball into the net to make it 2-2.

In a tense and fast-paced contest, Vietnam continued to apply pressure and regained the lead in the 68th minute. From a corner kick, Manh Cuong rose highest to head home and make it 3-2.

The UAE launched several attacks in the closing stages, but goalkeeper Xuan Hoa delivered a series of crucial saves to preserve Vietnam’s advantage.

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