Following the match against Japan, the Vietnamese national team cancelled their friendly match against Qatar.
Following the cancellation of the friendly match against Japan scheduled for December 30, 2026, it is unlikely that the Vietnamese national team will be scheduled to play against Qatar in early January 2027.
The Vietnamese national team no longer has any friendly matches scheduled against Japan and Qatar.
According to the initial plan, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) intended to organize two high-level friendlies against Japan and Qatar between late December 2026 and early January 2027. These matches were considered important tests to help coach Kim Sang-sik's team prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup.
Specifically, the Vietnamese national team will face Japan on December 30, 2026, at Panasonic Stadium Suita (Osaka), before meeting Qatar on January 5, 2027. The match against Qatar will be played behind closed doors, with the aim of testing tactics and evaluating the strength of the team.
However, this plan was upended after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) decided to postpone the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. According to Sponichi information on November 13, the Japan Football Association (JFA) had previously negotiated with the Vietnam Football Association (VFF) to hold the match on December 30. However, after the postponement of the 2027 Asian Cup, the VFF decided that playing in Japan was not truly appropriate. Therefore, the friendly match between the Japanese and Vietnamese national teams was canceled.
Not only Japan, but also the friendly against Qatar on January 5, 2027, is no longer compatible with the Vietnam national team's schedule. With the 2027 Asian Cup postponed to the end of 2027, calling up the team for an international match in early January no longer constitutes direct preparation for the tournament.
Therefore, after initial calculations regarding the rise in the level of opponents, from Kyrgyzstan (the 2026 Casper Cup will be held in Ninh Binh ), to Qatar and Japan, the Vietnamese national team will not have two more high-level matches as expected.
This represents a significant shift from coach Kim Sang-sik's plans. Previously, Japan and Qatar had been chosen for their high level of expertise and similarities to potential opponents the Vietnamese national team could face in the 2027 Asian Cup.
The V-League will resume operations in early 2027.
Rather than focusing on international matches, Vietnamese players are expected to remain with their clubs to continue competing in the 2026-2027 V-League. According to the provisional schedule, the V-League will resume in early January 2027 with Matchday 14, which will take place from January 8 to 10. This is a crucial stage of the season for clubs, as competition for the rankings intensifies.
In round 14, notable matches include SLNA vs. Ha Tinh, HAGL vs. Ninh Binh, The Cong Viettel vs. Ho Chi Minh City Police FC, and Hanoi FC vs. Hanoi Police FC.
Ho Chi Minh City: Free travel on Metro Line 1 for participants in the 2026 National Sports Games.
The Vietnamese team will continue to adapt and play with an attacking style against Kyrgyzstan: here is the updated schedule.
Subsequently, the 15th round took place from January 15th to 17th, with several notable matches such as Hanoi Police Club vs. Dong Nai City, Bac Ninh vs. Hanoi, Ha Tinh vs. The Cong Viettel and Ninh Binh vs. Nam Dinh.
The sixteenth round will continue from January 22nd to 24th, before the early eighteenth round between Hanoi Police FC and Nam Dinh FC on January 29th. After that, the V-League will take a break before resuming with the seventeenth round from February 19th to 21st.
The players' return to their clubs will help the teams maintain their strength during a crucial phase of the season. However, for the Vietnamese national team, the inability to play two friendlies against Japan and Qatar also meant the team lost the opportunity to test their skills against top-tier Asian opponents. However, with the postponement of the 2027 Asian Cup, coach Kim Sang-sik and the Vietnam Football Federation still have time to adjust their preparation plans.