OFFICIAL: Brazilian Coach Makes History with Vietnam National Team

Vietnam U17 officially clinched the 2026 Southeast Asia U17 Championship title after a convincing 3-0 victory over Malaysia U17 in the final, thereby helping Coach Cristiano Roland enter Vietnamese football history with a special milestone.

The victory over Malaysia not only concluded an impressive journey but also enabled the Brazilian strategist to become the first South American coach to win a title with a Vietnamese national team. This is considered a deserved reward for the efforts and the impact he has created throughout this period.

In the final match, Vietnam U17 continued to demonstrate superior strength. Already in the first half, the red-shirted team completely controlled the game and quickly established a 2-0 lead thanks to goals by Quý Vương and Văn Dương. In the second half, the situation did not change much as Vietnam U17 continued to dominate, before Văn Dương completed his brace, securing a convincing 3-0 victory.

Earlier, Coach Cristiano Roland and his team overcame Australia U17 with a 2-1 score in the semifinal, a pivotal victory against the reigning champion. This result not only propelled Vietnam U17 into the final but also provided a significant psychological boost for the team to perform explosively in the last match.

In the group stage, Vietnam U17 also displayed extremely stable form by topping Group A with 7 points after 3 matches, scoring up to 14 goals and conceding none. The 0-0 draw against host Indonesia helped the team maintain the top spot, thereby securing a ticket to the knockout stage with impressive results.

Under the guidance of Coach Roland, Vietnam U17 maintained an extremely impressive streak of matches spanning multiple tournaments. The team not only played solidly in defense but also possessed an explosive attack, continuously producing goal-scoring showers. The balance between offense and defense was precisely the key that enabled Vietnam U17 to dominate this year's tournament.

This flourishing journey was actually built earlier. From the qualifiers and the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup Finals, Vietnam U17 showed clear progress by remaining unbeaten in the group stage and drawing against several strong opponents. Moving into the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, the team continued to win all matches, scoring 30 goals and conceding none, demonstrating remarkable development.

After two years of dedication, Coach Cristiano Roland now has his first title with Vietnam U17, simultaneously etching his name into history. The 2026 Southeast Asia U17 Championship title is not only a success in terms of achievement but also a crucial step affirming the position of Vietnamese youth football in the region.