Vietnam National Team Avoids Thailand and China in AFC Asian Cup 2027 Finals

Vietnam's national team is seeded in Pot 3 for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Finals, which means they will not face Thailand or China in the group stage.

The Asian Football Confederation has confirmed the draw ceremony for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Finals will take place on May 9, 2026 at the Ad-Diriyah heritage site (Riyadh). This is a crucial milestone determining the group stage landscape of Asia's biggest tournament.

According to the FIFA rankings published on April 1, 2026, the Vietnam national team ranks 99th globally and will be placed in Pot 3. This means Coach Kim Sang-sik's squad will avoid group-stage opponents from the same pot, such as Thailand or China.

AFC Asian Cup 2027 Seedings Breakdown

• Pot 1: Saudi Arabia (host), Japan, South Korea, Iran, Australia, Uzbekistan
• Pot 2: Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, UAE, Oman, Syria
• Pot 3: Bahrain, Thailand, China, Palestine, Vietnam, Tajikistan
• Pot 4: Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Singapore, North Korea, (Lebanon/Yemen)

The Asian Cup 2027 features 24 teams, divided into 6 groups (each with 4 teams). The top two teams from each group and the four best-performing third-place teams advance to the knockout stage.

Being in Pot 3 helps Vietnam avoid early clashes with "troublesome" regional rivals like Thailand or China. However, the challenge remains significant as they will definitely face one team from Pot 1 and one from Pot 2.

In the most favorable theoretical scenario, Vietnam National Team could be placed in a group with Uzbekistan (Pot 1), Jordan (Pot 2), Vietnam (Pot 3), and Singapore (Pot 4).

This is considered a "soft" group compared to other possibilities, as it avoids giants like Japan, South Korea, or Iran. Nevertheless, even opponents like Uzbekistan or Jordan are progressing strongly, requiring Coach Kim Sang Sik's team to prepare thoroughly if they aim to advance beyond the group stage.