Vietnamese prodigy called up to European national team

Vietnamese-born midfielder Nguyen Quoc Khai, born in 2009, has been called up to the Austrian U17 squad, opening opportunities to compete in the U17 Euro and World Cup 2026.

Nguyen Quoc Khai, a Vietnamese-born midfielder born in 2009, has officially been called up to the Austrian U17 team to prepare for the U17 Euro and World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Being selected at age 17 presents a rare opportunity for Quoc Khai, as he could participate in both European competitions and the World Cup stage within the same year.

This player's mother is Vietnamese, and he has lived in Austria since childhood. Quoc Khai began his professional football journey at age 7 at the ASV Salzburg academy, later moving to club SAK 1974. At age 10, he joined the RB Salzburg system but was assigned to play for FC Liefering before returning to RB Salzburg in the 2023/2024 season.

Impressive performances in the RB Salzburg youth team helped Quoc Khai get called up to the Austrian U15 national team in March 2024. He played twice in matches against Slovakia U15, showcasing his energetic play and versatility as both a defender and winger. This flexibility continued to help him move up to RB Salzburg U18 in early 2026, where he played 4 matches and maintained consistent performance.

Quoc Khai's preferred position is right defender, but he can also play as a right midfielder or switch to left defender, giving the Austrian U17 coach multiple tactical options. With the Austrian U17 team, Quoc Khai will compete in Group A4, facing Kazakhstan U17, Czech Republic U17, and Denmark U17 in the second qualifying stage, aiming to secure spots in the U17 Euro and U17 World Cup 2026 finals.

The U17 Euro 2026 finals are scheduled in Estonia from May 25 to June 7, while the U17 World Cup will be held in November in Qatar. If both Austrian U17 and Vietnamese U17 qualify, Quoc Khai could potentially face his home country's team at the world tournament, creating an intriguing scenario for fans.

The Vietnamese U17 team is currently in Group C of the 2026 Asian U17 finals alongside South Korea, UAE, and Yemen. With 8 Asian spots for the U17 World Cup 2026, if Vietnam advances past the group stage, their young players could meet Nguyen Quoc Khai on the international stage, setting up a notable matchup between the Vietnamese-born player and his homeland teammates.