The Vietnam U20 football team will take on North Korea today at 19:00 in the 2027 Asian U20 Championship qualifiers. This year's tournament, running from August 31 to September 6, features a new format that makes the race for qualification more challenging.

With the Philippines withdrawing, the qualifiers now consist of 31 teams divided into eight groups. The teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the top eight group winners and the seven best runners-up advancing to the finals in China in March 2027. The teams finishing last in each group will be relegated to the Development Phase for the next tournament.

Vietnam is in Group C alongside Iran, North Korea, and Palestine. According to the FIFA rankings, Iran leads the group at 22nd, followed by Palestine at 95th, Vietnam at 99th, and North Korea at 120th. Despite their lower ranking, North Korea is known for its physical strength and discipline on the field.

Vietnam has faced North Korea before, drawing 2-2 in the qualifiers and losing 0-5 in the group stage of the 2012 tournament. However, in 2016, a team led by player Nguyen Quang Hai defeated North Korea 2-1, marking Vietnam's first advancement past the group stage, ultimately reaching the semifinals and qualifying for the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2017.

The matches will take place at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho, which will be open to the public for free. Following the match against North Korea, Vietnam will face Palestine on September 3 and Iran on September 6, all scheduled for 19:00.

Head coach Yutaka Ikeuchi remains optimistic despite past challenges, stating, "North Korea is a strong team with good physical play and spirit. This match will not be easy, but we are ready to face them and fight our hardest." Ikeuchi has made significant changes to the squad since the U19 Southeast Asia Championship, introducing new talents while retaining key players like team captain Nguyen Quoc Khanh.

The Asian U20 Championship, previously known as the U19 Championship, has been held since 1959, with South Korea leading the title count. Australia is the defending champion, and Vietnam has successfully qualified for 10 out of the last 12 tournaments since 2002, with the exception of 2008 and 2025.