The Vietnamese team is urgently practicing before the opening match of Group F, the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. (Source: VFF)

"Group F of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup has all the elements to become a thrilling movie when all 4 teams are very confident of advancing," the AFC homepage commented on the chances of 4 teams in Group F of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, including Vietnam, Iraq, Indonesia and the Philippines, to advance to the third qualifying round.

According to AFC, although the Iraqi team is rated higher thanks to its best ranking on the FIFA rankings, the West Asian team cannot underestimate the strength of the Vietnamese, Indonesian or Philippine teams in this group.

In the opening match of the second qualifying round, Iraq will face Indonesia while Vietnam will face the Philippines. According to AFC, the Indonesian team has made remarkable progress recently and is led by experienced coach Shin Tae Yong, so it is completely possible to cause a big surprise against Iraq.

Notably, talking about the Vietnamese team, AFC said that coach Philippe Troussier and his team are worthy opponents for Iraq thanks to their extensive experience playing against strong opponents, and are also a team that entered the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup and have a strong desire to win.

"The Iraqi team aims to have a successful opening match against Indonesia, but this is not easy. After that, the West Asian representative will have to face the Vietnamese team - a top opponent in the Southeast Asian region that has passed the second qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup to become one of the 12 strongest teams in Asia.

The number one position in Southeast Asia on the FIFA rankings of the Vietnamese team will make Iraq wary," the AFC homepage affirmed.

Before facing Iraq, the Vietnamese team will have their opening match against the Philippines (6 p.m. on November 16) to prove their true ability and strength under coach Philippe Troussier.

The goal of the "Golden Dragons" is nothing more than to win all 3 points to compete for the top spot in Group F with Iraq and Indonesia to win a direct ticket to the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.