Vietnam enjoy easy draw for World Cup qualifiers
VOV.VN - The group draw for the second round of Asian Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 27 placed Vietnam into a relatively straightforward group.
According to the results, the Vietnamese men's national football team will play in Group F alongside the Philippines, Iraq, and winners of the play-off match between Indonesia and Brunei. The pre-qualifier sees Brunei go in as underdogs, meaning Indonesia are almost certain to progress.
Except for Iraq not in Southeast Asia, the remaining opponents have previously played the Vietnamese team several times.
During the Asian Qualifiers due to take place from November 2023 to June 2024, the 18 teams will be divided into three groups to compete in a round-robin, home-and-away format. The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup.
The final round will consist of the third and fourth placed teams from all groups of the AFC Asian Qualifiers, making up six teams in total. The six teams will then be drawn into two groups of three teams each, competing in a single round-robin format.
The two first-placed teams from the Asian Playoff groups will then advance to the 2026 World Cup. The second-placed teams from both groups will compete in a playoff match to determine the side that will represent the AFC in the Intercontinental Playoff.