The nation's eight wins include a 1-0 win against Australia, a 3-3 draw with Iraq (5-3 on penalties), and a 2-2 draw with Qatar (5-3 on penalties) in 2018, a 2-0 victory over Malaysia in 2022 and 2024, a 3-1 win against Kuwait in 2024, and most recently the wins against Jordan and Kyrgyzstan in the 2026 edition.

Midfielder Nguyen Thai Son gestures toward the national flag after Vietnam defeated Kyrgyzstan in their Group A second-round match at the AFC U23 Asian Cup at King Abdullah Sports City Hall in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 9, 2026.

Six of these victories were achieved in regular time, while two were secured via penalty shootouts.

In Southeast Asia, Thailand and Indonesia are tied for second in the region with three wins each. Thailand’s victories came against Bahrain, Malaysia and Iraq across three different tournaments, while Indonesia achieved all three of their wins during a single impressive run in 2024, defeating Australia, Jordan and South Korea.

Besides Thailand and Indonesia, only Malaysia has recorded a victory at the tournament, a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in 2018. Myanmar, the only other Southeast Asian participant, failed to secure a win in their sole appearance in 2013.

This leaves the combined win total for all other regional teams at seven, one fewer than Vietnam’s individual record.

Vietnam also hold the top spot for the furthest progress in the tournament, having reached the final in 2018, followed by Indonesia’s semi-final appearance in 2024.

In terms of total points earned, excluding penalty shootouts, Vietnam rank ninth in Asia with 25 points, placing them just ahead of the UAE with 23. This number is also higher than the 24 points earned by Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar.

South Korea lead the continental standings with 73 points, followed by Japan with 67. However, in terms of titles, Japan are the only team to win the tournament twice, while South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan have triumphed once each.

Vietnam now stand on the verge of a new milestone. A victory over Saudi Arabia on Monday would mark the first time Vietnam has won three matches in a single edition of the tournament in regular time. If that happens, coach Kim Sang-sik’s team will top Group A and face either the UAE or Syria in the quarterfinals.

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