South Korean team exhausted ahead of World Cup qualifier against Vietnam

With a packed training schedule and high intensity, the South Korean U17 team is "running themselves ragged" to prepare for the key journey at the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026, which includes a match against Vietnam U17.

The South Korean U17 team is entering the most rigorous preparation phase ahead of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 held in Saudi Arabia. According to Korean media, the team has been placed into a continuous heavy physical training program, aiming to achieve peak condition when entering the tournament that is decisive for securing a spot in the 2026 U17 World Cup.

In the upcoming tournament, South Korea U17 is in Group C alongside Vietnam U17, Yemen U17, and UAE U17. According to the format, the top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals and simultaneously secure qualification for the 2026 U17 World Cup. In this context of wide-open opportunities, the entire team is putting all efforts into preparation – and the rigor of training has become a notable highlight.

Initially, South Korea U17 planned to train in West Asia to acclimatize to match conditions, but the plan was forced to be canceled due to security concerns. The team quickly shifted to Thailand, where they had a series of quality friendly matches. There, the East Asian representative successively defeated Indonesia 6-0, Thailand 2-0, and India 2-1, thereby accumulating significant confidence.

After the training camp, the entire team returned home and entered a fitness conditioning phase described as "extremely rigorous." According to information from the Korean Football Association, many players fell into a state of exhaustion but still had to complete the training regimen. This is seen as a way to ensure optimal physical fitness foundation for the long journey in the tournament.

Notably, the current U17 generation is the first to apply the "Made In Korea" (MIK) philosophy. This philosophy prioritizes practical combat drills instead of focusing solely on pure technique. In the context where the U17 World Cup is held annually and preparation time is limited, this approach is evaluated as fitting the trend of modern football.

After about a week of high-intensity training, coach Kim Hyun Joon finalized the list of 23 players participating in the tournament. The squad consists entirely of players born in 2009, including 20 faces from K League youth teams, 2 players from high school level, and 1 professional player, Ahn Ju Wan from Seoul E-Land.

This is a completely new group compared to the generation that reached the semifinals of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025 and secured World Cup qualification previously. According to the match schedule, South Korea U17 will face Vietnam U17 on May 10 – a match predicted to be pivotal in the race for advancing.