Viktor Lê is a rare case of an overseas Vietnamese player in the Vietnam U22 team - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.
Having won the 2025 Southeast Asian Championship with the Vietnam U22 team and qualified for the 2026 U23 Asian Championship, plus his recent start at the 2025 Panda Cup friendly tournament in China, Viktor Lê has a very good chance of participating in the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.
The pride of overseas Vietnamese
If selected for the 23-player squad for the 33rd SEA Games (already included in the preliminary list), Viktor Lê would be the first overseas Vietnamese player to participate in the SEA Games since 2015.
The last time Vietnamese football had an overseas Vietnamese player participate in the SEA Games was at the 29th regional sports event in 2015 in Singapore, when Mac Hong Quan was included in the Vietnam U23 squad by coach Toshiya Miura.
In Singapore that year, Mac Hong Quan was given the responsibility of playing as a striker. Although he brought many emotions to the fans by scoring 4 goals, Hong Quan could not help the Vietnam U23 team win the gold medal.
In the three subsequent SEA Games, the Vietnam U22 team lacked any overseas Vietnamese players. Many overseas Vietnamese players tried their luck but none managed to stay. Meanwhile, the Vietnam U22 team still won two gold medals at the 30th and 31st SEA Games, and one bronze medal at the 32nd SEA Games, without any contribution from overseas Vietnamese players.
Expectations for Viktor Le
Viktor Lê was born in 2003 in Russia, with a Vietnamese father and a Russian mother. He trained at the CSKA Moscow academy along with Dang Van Lam, and returned to Vietnam in 2023 at the age of 20.
Over the past three years, Viktor Lê has regularly featured in the V-League and has faced considerable competition for a starting position at teams like Bình Định and Hà Tĩnh . Securing a regular starting spot in Vietnam's top professional league demonstrates that Viktor's footballing ability is on par with any domestic player in the Vietnam U22 team.
In the 2024-2025 season, Viktor Lê scored 3 goals and provided 3 assists in 24 matches, helping Ha Tinh finish in the top 5 of the V-League. This season, the Vietnamese-born player has scored 2 goals and provided 2 assists in 11 regular matches.
His playing time and contributions to the club in the V-League far surpass those of some of his colleagues who played in the Vietnam U22 attack, such as Nguyen Cong Phuong (The Cong - Viettel ), Bui Vi Hao (Becamex Ho Chi Minh City), or Nguyen Quoc Viet and Nguyen Le Phat (Ninh Binh).
Therefore, Viktor's presence in the Vietnam U22 team is well-deserved. In 2025, when the Vietnam U22 team undergoes many important campaigns to select players for the SEA Games 33, many overseas Vietnamese players have joined the Vietnam U22 team and then returned home, with only Viktor Le remaining.
Viktor not only features regularly but also competes fairly with many domestic players for a starting spot. Now he is a key attacking option with his dribbling ability, accurate passing, and diverse finishing style.
Viktor Lê is not only a source of hope for the Vietnam U22 team at the SEA Games 33 and the 2026 U23 Asian Championship, but also an inspiration for Vietnamese expatriates.
Impressive statistics
In March, Viktor Le started all three matches and provided one assist for the Vietnam U23 team at the CFA Team China tournament. In July, the Vietnamese-Russian player played in all four matches as the Vietnam U23 team won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.
In September, Viktor scored one goal in two out of three matches played in the 2026 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, helping Vietnam's U23 team secure a place in the Asian Cup. In October, Viktor also played in both friendly matches against Qatar. In November, he played in two out of three matches at the 2025 Panda Cup, where Vietnam's U22 team faced continental-level teams Uzbekistan and South Korea.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cho-viktor-le-bung-no-20251124083735461.htm
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