The race for promotion tickets to the First Division is about to conclude.

Three of the four berths for the 2026 National Second Division Championship have already been confirmed.

The matches of round 13 of the 2026 National Second Division Football Championship took place on the afternoon of June 2nd and proved to be a turning point in the race for the Finals. After this round, three of the four spots for the Finals have been officially secured.

In Group A, Young Hanoi continued to show consistent form with a 1-0 victory away at the Ha Tinh Sports Training and Competition Center. This was the capital's youth team's sixth win since the start of the season, raising their total points to 24 after 12 matches, maintaining an unbeaten record and holding onto the top spot.

In a simultaneous match at Thanh Tri Stadium, Hue defeated Young Hanoi Police 3-1 to increase their points to 22 after 11 games. Meanwhile, PVF was held to a 1-1 draw by Young SHB Da Nang, gaining only one point to bring their total to 14.

With the current standings, Group A has officially confirmed two teams advancing to the Finals: Young Hanoi and Hue. After round 13, the third-placed team, Ha Tinh Sports Training and Competition Center, has 16 points with one match remaining. Even if they win all three points in the final round, Ha Tinh can only reach a maximum of 19 points, insufficient to surpass Hue (22 points) and Young Hanoi (24 points).

In Group B, the race for the Finals remains thrilling. Lam Dong secured a crucial 2-0 victory away at Tay Ninh to move to the top of the group with 22 points after 11 games. Meanwhile, Quang Ngai defeated Vinh Long 3-0 at home to reach 21 points, tying with Truong Giang Gia Dinh but sitting behind on tiebreakers. In the other match, Mekong Can Tho and Dak Lak drew 1-1.

This round's results also secured Lam Dong's official spot in the Finals. With 22 points, the Central Highlands team is guaranteed a top-two finish in Group B because in the final round, the two chasing teams, Truong Giang Gia Dinh and Quang Ngai, will face each other directly. This means only one team at most can surpass Lam Dong's 22-point mark, while the other will certainly not finish above them.

Thus, as of now, three teams have secured their places in the Finals of the 2026 National Second Division Football Championship: Young Hanoi, Hue, and Lam Dong.

The final ticket will be decided after the last qualifying round on June 7th. The highlight of Group B is the direct confrontation between Quang Ngai and Truong Giang Gia Dinh. The winner will definitely claim the Finals spot. If the teams draw, Truong Giang Gia Dinh will advance due to a superior head-to-head record (they won the first leg 3-0).