Vietnam national football team to face Japan in December 2026 friendly

The Vietnam national football team is scheduled to play a high-profile friendly match against Japan in Osaka on December 30, 2026. The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and the Japan Football Association (JFA) have reached a preliminary agreement to host the match at the 40,000-capacity Panasonic Stadium.

This match serves as a critical preparation step for head coach Kim Sang-sik and his squad ahead of the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. For Japan, the fixture allows the Samurai Blue to prepare for Southeast Asian opponents like Thailand and Indonesia, who are also in their group for the tournament. While Japan's European-based stars may join the squad later in Saudi Arabia, the Japanese side is expected to field players primarily from the J-League.

In addition to the Japan fixture, the VFF is negotiating a closed training match against defending Asian Cup champions Qatar for January 5, 2027. Earlier preparation includes friendly matches against Taiwan and Kyrgyzstan during the November 2026 FIFA international window.