OFFICIAL: Xuan Truong unexpectedly called up to U23 Vietnam

Midfielder Ta Xuan Truong is the latest player announced to be included in the call-up list for U23 Vietnam.

Blue Steel Nam Dinh Club has just issued an official announcement regarding midfielder Ta Xuan Truong being called up to U23 Vietnam for the first training camp in 2026, scheduled for next March. This is quite surprising news as Xuan Truong, the midfielder from Nam Dinh, is a very new name, having never debuted for the first team and being previously unknown.

Thus, Xuan Truong is the 11th player announced to be on the call-up list for U23 Vietnam next March. This list will certainly include many more new names as this is essentially the U21 team planned for ASIAD 2026. Before Xuan Truong, Hanoi Club announced that two players will join the training camp with U23 Vietnam: goalkeeper Pham Dinh Hai and center-back Nguyen Canh Tai.

SLNA confirmed that five players have been called up to U23 Vietnam, including goalkeeper Cao Van Binh, defender Le Nguyen Hoang, forward Le Dinh Long Vu, and two midfielders Nguyen Quang Vinh and Nguyen Trong Tuan. Except for newcomer Trong Tuan, the other four faces are not unfamiliar, having previously participated in multiple training camps for the U23 Vietnam national team. Bac Ninh FC contributes one player, Nguyen Trong Son.

Alongside the contingent from SLNA, HAGL also has two representatives called up to the national team: Dinh Quang Kiet and Nguyen Minh Tam. Among them, center-back Dinh Quang Kiet – nearly 2 meters tall – has been called up multiple times by coach Kim Sang Sik in 2025. However, this 19-year-old player has yet to have the opportunity to be included in the final roster for major tournaments such as the SEA Games or the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals.

Upon invitation from the Chinese Football Association, U23 Vietnam will participate in the CFA Team China International Football Tournament – Xi'an 2026, held in Xi'an city (China) from March 25 to March 31, 2026. The tournament features four teams: U23 China, U23 Vietnam, U23 Thailand, and U23 North Korea, competing in a single-round league format to determine the final rankings.

According to the schedule announced by the organizers, U23 Vietnam will open their campaign against U23 North Korea on March 25. Subsequently, the team will face U23 Thailand on March 28 before concluding their journey with a match against the host, U23 China, on March 31.

To prepare for this tournament, U23 Vietnam is scheduled to assemble in Hanoi from March 17. This training camp is part of the long-term plan of the Vietnam Football Federation to build a successor force for the national team, while also providing opportunities for young players to accumulate more international match experience, aiming towards preparation for the Asian Games 2026.