OFFICIAL: Vietnam U17 sets Southeast Asian historical record

Vietnam U17 defeated Malaysia 3-0 in the final, officially becoming the most frequent champion in Southeast Asian U17 history with four titles.

Vietnam U17 has officially become the team with the most championship wins in the history of the Southeast Asian U17 tournament after a convincing 3-0 victory over Malaysia U17 in the 2026 final. This marks the fourth time that coach Cristiano Roland and his squad have claimed the top regional honor, thereby surpassing Thailand U17 and Australia U17 – two teams that previously shared the record of three titles.

Entering the final, Vietnam U17 was rated higher as they had previously beaten Malaysia 4-0 in the group stage and had just overcome reigning champion Australia U17 with a 2-1 score in the semifinal. On the field, the young Vietnamese players continued to demonstrate superiority by completely controlling the match. Quý Vương opened the scoring early, before Văn Dương scored a double to seal a convincing 3-0 victory.

This championship holds special significance as it enables Vietnam U17 to exclusively occupy the top position in the tournament's history. Previously, the team had won titles in 2006, 2010, and 2017, equaling the achievements of Thailand U17 and Australia U17. However, when both major rivals were eliminated early in this year's competition, the opportunity opened up, and Vietnam U17 perfectly seized it to create a new milestone.

Not only champions, Vietnam U17 also demonstrated impressive stability under coach Cristiano Roland. After the victory over Malaysia, the team extended their unbeaten streak to 16 consecutive matches with 12 wins and 4 draws. During this period, Vietnam U17 scored up to 59 goals and conceded only 4 times – a statistic showcasing comprehensive strength in both attack and defense.

That impressive form was built from the 2025 Asian U17 qualifiers, where the team secured a spot in the final round with a confident performance. In the Asian U17 finals, although they could not secure a World Cup berth, Vietnam U17 still made an impact by remaining unbeaten in the group stage and drawing with strong opponents like Japan, Australia, and UAE.

With the fourth Southeast Asian U17 championship, coach Cristiano Roland and his team not only affirmed their top regional status but also brought great confidence for the future of Vietnamese youth football. This is considered an important foundation to aim for larger goals at continental and world levels in the coming time.

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