After 26 participations in continental tournament group stages, including the Asian Cup, U23, U20, and U17 tournaments, Vietnam has for the first time topped a group, achieving this at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 in Saudi Arabia. Coach Kim Sang-sik's squad secured a perfect 9 points from three matches, defeating Jordan 2-0, Kyrgyzstan 2-1, and Saudi Arabia 1-0. This performance earned them first place in Group A, advancing to the quarterfinals ahead of Jordan (6 points), Saudi Arabia (3 points), and Kyrgyzstan (0 points).

Previously, Vietnam had advanced past the group stage eight times across all age levels in Asian championships, but always as either second or third in their group.

Forward Nguyen Dinh Bac (number 7) celebrates the sole goal in the match against Saudi Arabia, at Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the evening of 12/1/2026. Photo: AFC

This also marks the first time a Vietnamese men's football team has achieved a perfect record in the group stage of an Asian tournament. Including the Asian Games (which is a multi-sport event, not solely football-focused), Vietnam had only achieved perfect group stage wins two times before: in 2014 in South Korea and 2018 in Indonesia.

Excluding penalty shootouts, this is the first time Vietnam has won three matches in an AFC U23 Asian Cup final round. The team is also set to play at least one more match in the quarterfinals on the evening of 16/1.

Among the heroes of Vietnam's historic victory on the evening of 12/1 was Nguyen Dinh Bac. Coming on as a substitute for Le Viktor at the start of the second half, the vice-captain forward scored the only goal with a solo effort in the 64th minute. His goal secured Vietnam's first-ever win against Saudi Arabia at any national team level. Previously, Vietnam had faced this West Asian opponent 11 times, from U17 to the senior national team, recording only one draw and 10 losses. This victory is particularly significant as it took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien also made a significant contribution, with 7 saves, earning him the "man of the match" award. In this tournament, Vietnam conceded only one goal after the group stage, a first in their AFC U23 Asian Cup history.

In official U23 matches, Vietnam is currently on a 14-match winning streak, a team record. In Southeast Asia, U23 Thailand holds the record for 17 consecutive official wins between 2003 and 2006, across SEA Games 22, U23 Southeast Asia 2005, SEA Games 23, and the group stage of Asiad 15. To equal this record, Coach Kim's team needs to win three more matches, which would mean winning the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.

Xuan Binh