The youngest and most promising member of the Vietnam U17 national team.
Tran Manh Quan is the youngest player in the Vietnam U17 national team that will compete at the 2026 U17 World Cup. The young striker from the Hanoi academy has raised high expectations with his consistent scoring streak over the past two years.
Among the 21 players on the Vietnam U17 national team that will participate in the 2026 U17 World Cup , Tran Manh Quan stands out. This forward is the only one born in 2010, while all of his 20 teammates were born in 2009. The fact that the 16-year-old has secured one of the six spots in coach Cristiano Roland's attack is the result of experience gained in numerous tournaments and a providential turning point.
Before breaking onto the world stage , Mạnh Quân had already demonstrated his scoring prowess in national and continental youth tournaments. 2025 marked a significant milestone for the striker, who came through Hanoi's youth academy. He won the top scorer title in two national youth competitions: the Under-15 tournament with 15 goals and the Under-17 tournament with nine goals. While playing for the Vietnam Under-17 national team in the 2026 Asian Under-17 Championship qualifiers (held at the end of 2025), the 2010-born striker continued to score five goals, becoming the team's top scorer. In 2025, he totaled 29 goals in 29 matches across all competitions.
In 2026, Manh Quan maintained his consistent scoring streak. Playing for
Hanoi's U17 team in the 2026 National U17 Championship qualifiers, he scored 10 goals. In the 2026 National U17 Championship final, the striker added another four goals, cementing his place among the top scorers.
Manh Quan's journey with the Vietnam U17 national team in 2026 wasn't entirely smooth. He missed the Southeast Asian U17 Championship before returning to the squad for the 2026 AFC U17 Championship.
However, the preparation period for the 2026 U-17 World Cup saw a clear turnaround for the striker. During the training camp in South Korea at the end of October, Mạnh Quân scored in all three friendlies: a brace against Cheonan City's U-17 team, a goal against FC Seoul's U-18 team, and the winner in the 4-2 victory over Shinpyeong. In the match against Fiji's U-17 team in the United Arab Emirates on November 9, he continued to score regularly. Just a minute after Lê Sỹ Bách's opening goal, Mạnh Quân received a through ball from Chu Ngọc Nguyễn Lực and finished with a diagonal shot, securing a 2-0 victory for Vietnam's U-17s.
From a professional perspective, Mạnh Quân's inclusion in the final 21-man squad, over several older players from the 2009 generation, demonstrates coach Cristiano Roland's confidence in the Hanoi youth national team striker. The 16-year-old's strengths lie in his off-the-ball movement and positioning in the penalty area. Rather than relying on physical strength and pressing, he is a player with an excellent ability to overcome opposing defenses and finish with precision and few touches. His presence in Qatar offers the Vietnamese U17 attack another unpredictable option. After his impressive performances in the national youth championship and recent friendlies, fans have reason to expect a strong performance from him on the "big stage" of the 2026 U17 World Cup.
Vietnam U17 national team squad list for 2026 U17 World Cup
Goalkeepers: Chu Bá Huấn, Nguyễn Thái Sơn , Lý Xuân Hòa.
Defenders: Nguyen Khac Minh Duc, Nguyen Manh Cuong, Nguyen Huynh Dang Khoa, Tran Hoang Viet, Nguyen Ngoc Anh Hao, Quan Thanh Cong.
Midfielders: Dao Quy Vuong, Nguyen Hiep Dai Viet Nam, Nguyen Minh Thuy, Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc, Nguyen Trong Phong, Truong Nguyen Duy Khang.
Forwards: Le Trong Dai Nhan, Nguyen Van Duong, Tran Ngoc Son, Tran Tri Dung, Tran Manh Quan, Le Sy Bach.