Before the draw ceremony, based on the position on the FIFA rankings just announced last November, the Vietnamese team was in the number 1 seed group among the 24 teams participating in the third qualifying round which is also the final Asian qualifying round. Cup 2027. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team were drawn into a relatively easy group.
The Vietnamese team is in a relatively easy group in the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup
Accordingly, the Vietnamese team is in Group F with regional rival Malaysia, the Laos team in the same group at the AFF Cup 2024, and Nepal. The opponents in this group all have lower rankings than the Vietnamese team (currently ranked 116th on the FIFA rankings), such as the Malaysian team ranked 132nd in the world, Nepal ranked 175th and the Laos team ranked 186th.
In the remaining tables, specifically: Table A including Tajikistan, Philippines, Maldives, Timor Leste; Table B: Lebanon, Yemen, Bhutan, Brunei; Table C: India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangladesh; Table D: Thailand, Turkmenistan, Taiwan, Sri Lanka; and Table E: Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan.
In the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup, only the 6 teams ranked first in each group will win the right to enter the final round, along with the 18 teams present after the second qualifying round ended last June.
Groups in the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup
Even though they meet low-ranked opponents, the Vietnamese team needs to show their true strength to win matches and secure the top spot in the group to have a ticket to the final round.
Historically, the Vietnamese team has participated in the Asian Cup finals 5 times, including 2 recent consecutive rounds including 2019 (quarterfinals) and 2023 (group stage).
The matches in the 3rd qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup will take place in a total of 6 matches in each group with home and away format, from March 25, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
The 2027 Asian Cup finals take place in Saudi Arabia from January 15 to February 8, 2027. Currently, 18 teams are present in the final round, including hosts Saudi Arabia, Australia, Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan, Qatar, UAE, Japan, Korea, Oman, Palestine, Bahrain, Jordan, China, Indonesia, and the People’s Republic of China. North Korea, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan.
