Lam Dong to Host Dak Lak in 2026 National Second Division Opener
According to the schedule recently announced by the Vietnam Football Federation, Lam Dong will host Dak Lak on the afternoon of March 24 in the opening match of the 2026 Vietnam National Second Division in Da Lat.
The 2026 National Second Division features 14 teams, including nine existing Second Division clubs, one team relegated from the First Division, and four teams promoted from the 2025 National Third Division.
The 14 teams are divided into two groups (A and B) based on geographical regions and registered home venues in order to facilitate travel.
The qualifying round will take place from March 24 to June 7, 2026, with the first leg from March 24 to April 25 and the second leg from May 6 to June 7. Teams will compete in a home-and-away format within each group. At the end of the qualifying stage, the top two teams in each group will advance to the final round to compete for three promotion spots.
The final round, scheduled from June 13 to June 16, 2026, will see the four teams paired into two knockout matches. The two winners will earn automatic promotion, while the two losing teams will play an additional match to determine the final promotion slot.
For Lam Dong, the first leg schedule is considered advantageous as five of the six matches will be played at home in Da Lat, with only one away match. Specifically, after the opening match against Dak Lak on March 24, Lam Dong will travel to Quang Ngai Province to face Quang Ngai on March 29. The team will then return to Da Lat for four consecutive home matches against Truong Giang Gia Dinh (April 9), Vinh Long (April 14), Tay Ninh (April 19), and Mekong Can Tho (April 25).
In the second leg, the schedule will be reversed, with Lam Dong playing only one home match and five away fixtures. The team will visit Dak Lak on May 6, then return to Da Lat to host Quang Ngai on May 11. After that, Lam Dong will play four consecutive away matches against Truong Giang Gia Dinh (May 22), Vinh Long (May 28), Tay Ninh (June 2), and Mekong Can Tho (June 7).