Hanoi amateur football:

The tournament was a success, considered an important step forward for grassroots football in the capital, moving towards professionalism, systematic organization, and sustainable development in the future.

The match between Hoai Duc Commune Football Club (white jerseys) and Dan Phuong Commune Football Club.

Creating large-scale playgrounds and spreading the spirit of sportsmanship.

The 2025 Hanoi City Football Championship (taking place from October 4th to 18th, 2025) is organized by the Hanoi Football Federation in coordination with the Hoai Duc Commune People's Committee and the Hoai Duc Commune Football Club, to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the Liberation of Hanoi (October 10th, 1954 - October 10th, 2025). This is also the first time since the two-tiered local government model came into operation that Hanoi has organized a city-level 11-a-side football tournament. The tournament has attracted the participation of 12 teams from communes and wards in the area.

According to To Van Dong, President of the Hanoi Football Federation, this is the largest amateur football tournament in the capital city, held annually after the local government switched to a two-tiered model. The tournament not only provides a playing field for outstanding amateur teams in Hanoi but also contributes to the development of mass sports, spreading the spirit of health training and love of football within the community.

“The Hanoi Football Federation wants to organize a large-scale, truly systematic tournament for communes and wards. This is an 11-a-side tournament with a much higher scale and quality than previous amateur tournaments. We expect that from this movement, Hanoi will form more third- and second-division teams to participate in national tournaments, thereby creating a broader and more sustainable football ecosystem for the capital,” Mr. To Van Dong shared.

According to Do Van Nhat, General Secretary of the Hanoi Football Federation, after many years, Hanoi is finally able to organize a city-wide 11-a-side football tournament. According to the regulations, players who have participated in professional football leagues since 2022 are not allowed to register for the tournament. This rule ensures fairness, provides opportunities for amateur athletes to showcase their abilities, and helps the organizing committee discover new talents for Hanoi football.

In addition, the organization was meticulously prepared, from the open regulations and refereeing to the medical services – all according to the standards of professional leagues. “We want to give amateur players a truly high-level competition experience, thereby motivating them to continue their long-term commitment to football,” said Mr. Do Van Nhat.

Nguyen Khanh Manh, Director of the Hoai Duc Commune Cultural, Information and Sports Center and representative of the host locality, shared: "After receiving the official letter from the Hanoi Football Federation, we proactively developed a detailed plan and coordinated with relevant departments and agencies to ensure the best possible conditions for the tournament."

Towards professionalism and sustainable development

Nguyen Viet Hai, CEO of Hoai Duc Football Joint Stock Company and a member of the tournament organizing committee, expressed: “We hope to organize this annual tournament to build a solid foundation for football activities in Hoai Duc in particular and in Hanoi's communes and wards in general. Organizing an 11-a-side tournament is an important step for localities to standardize the movement and move towards true professionalism. In the future, with a good mechanism in place, teams like Hoai Duc can completely develop into semi-professional or even professional clubs.”

Football expert Phan Anh Tú commented: “Hanoi's amateur football is very strong, but for a long time it has mainly developed in 7-a-side football. Organizing an 11-a-side tournament is the right direction, because this is the real foundation of professional football. A player who wants to go far must get used to 11-a-side football, with its higher tempo and tactical demands. If Hanoi can maintain an annual tournament with a clear roadmap, this will be an important ‘nursery’ for Vietnamese football.”

Hanoi Football Federation General Secretary Do Van Nhat expressed that the tournament's success lies in its organizational quality. The refereeing system includes V.League and First Division referees, and even FIFA referees; medical services, supervision, and security are all arranged according to national standards. This has created the image of a grassroots tournament that is professional and meticulously organized in every aspect. Hanoi currently has hundreds of active grassroots football teams in its districts and towns. Many of these teams are well-organized, have sponsors, their own coaches, and systematic youth training programs. Therefore, the Hanoi City Football Championship 2025 is not only a playing field but also an opportunity to connect, expand networks, and discover new talents for the capital's football scene.

The success of the 2025 Hanoi City Football Championship affirms that football in the capital city is gradually becoming professionalized, aiming to have more clubs representing Hanoi participate in the national league system in the near future. The success of the tournament also brings hope: from the football fields of communes and wards, more talents and strong teams capable of competing at higher levels will continue to emerge.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/bong-da-phong-trao-ha-noi-huong-den-su-chuyen-nghiep-720964.html