FIFA has made a special decision, giving the Vietnam national team an additional chance to participate in the World Cup.

A special ruling from FIFA regarding the allocation of World Cup slots has opened a new door, increasing Vietnam's chances to appear on the global football stage.

Recently, FIFA announced the allocation plan for the 2027 U20 World Cup spots, bringing significant changes to the competition among youth teams. The tournament will still feature 24 teams, but the continental quota distribution has been adjusted to enhance competitive opportunities for many developing football nations, including Vietnam.

According to this decision, the two co-host countries, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, are automatically qualified without needing to go through qualifiers. The remaining 22 spots will be distributed through continental competitions. For the Asian region, FIFA has allocated a total of 5 slots, which include 4 direct qualifications and 1 spot for the intercontinental playoff.

Specifically, the four teams reaching the semifinals of the 2027 AFC U20 Championship will automatically qualify for the U20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the four teams eliminated in the quarterfinals still have a second chance by entering an internal Asian playoff to determine the representative who will advance to the intercontinental playoff.

In the intercontinental playoff, the Asian representative will compete for the final spot against teams from South America, Europe, and Oceania. This is considered a “secondary gateway” but extremely valuable, allowing teams that do not make the top 4 in their continent to still hope for participation in the biggest youth football festival worldwide.

With this structure, the Vietnam U20 team clearly benefits as the path to the World Cup is less restrictive. Instead of being forced to reach the Asian semifinals as before, the young Vietnamese squad now has an alternative route if they pass the group stage and perform well in the quarterfinals.

Aiming for this goal, the Vietnam U20 team is expected to be built mainly from players born in 2007 and 2008. In 2026, the team will face a busy schedule with many important tournaments such as the Southeast Asia U19 Championship and the AFC U20 qualifiers mid-year, to gain experience and resilience.

Exactly a decade after their participation in the 2017 U20 World Cup in South Korea, Vietnamese youth football is now facing a historic opportunity to return to the big stage. FIFA’s decision not only adds extra spots, but also ignites hope for a new generation.