Overseas Vietnamese players flock to V-League: Lots of joy but also lots of worries

The wave of overseas Vietnamese players is returning and creating a remarkable highlight for V-League 2025/26. But behind the expectations, there are still many questions that need time to answer.

"Happy" for the quality and variety

After a period of not being too exciting, the 2025/26 season with new regulations, the wave of overseas Vietnamese players coming to play in V-League is becoming more bustling as well as more expected than ever.

Dozens of new overseas Vietnamese players (in addition to the old groups who played for 7 clubs last season) have chosen V-League as a new challenge in their careers, most notably with the two names Chung Nguyen Do and Brandon Ly.

Chung Nguyen Do is one of the newly returned overseas Vietnamese players with high expectations.

The presence of players with Vietnamese blood in the V-League brings very clear professional values to the clubs when they are trained in a top football environment, have better tactical thinking or physical foundation.

For example, in addition to Nguyen Filip, Dang Van Lam or Patrick Le Giang, Cao Quang Vinh have become famous, in the 2024/25 season, Vietnamese fans also witnessed how excellently Adou Minh or Kevin Pham Ba performed in the colors of Ha Tinh and Nam Dinh .

The appearance of overseas Vietnamese players, besides helping clubs become stronger, also helps promote the image of V-League and, even better, can wear the Vietnamese national team jersey when qualified.

I worry too... a lot.

However, along with the joy, there are also many worries. The integration of overseas Vietnamese players into the V-League environment is not always smooth.

The first barrier is the difference in culture and lifestyle. Overseas Vietnamese players have to face problems such as language, customs and even pressure from the media and fans.

But to become famous and contribute to Vietnamese football like Nguyen Filip is not simple.

Weather is also a big challenge for many overseas Vietnamese players who have had difficulty adapting to Vietnam's climate, leading to unstable performance.

Furthermore, the difference in playing style and tactics of V-League is also an obstacle. It is not uncommon for overseas Vietnamese players to be trained to play modern, high-speed football, but when they return to V-League, they may have difficulty adapting and gradually disappear.

In addition, the "hunting" of overseas Vietnamese players can sometimes become a movement without a thorough assessment of their actual level, even affecting the development opportunities of young domestic players.

In short, the influx of overseas Vietnamese players into the V-League is a positive sign, but it needs to be properly controlled and supported to turn "joy" into "real benefits". If done well, this can become a springboard to bring the V-League and the Vietnamese team to new heights. On the contrary, it is likely to be just a fleeting wave that will quietly disappear.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/overseas-player-do-bo-v-league-mung-nhieu-ma-lo-cung-lam-2429805.html