On the afternoon of September 8th, VPF confirmed that Hoa Binh Club officially sent a letter announcing their withdrawal from the First Division and the National Cup for the 2025/26 season.

In the official letter, Hoa Binh Club stated that there were some force majeure factors affecting the team's plans, therefore, the team from the Northwest region withdrew from participating in the 2025/26 season.

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Hoa Binh FC withdraws from the league. Photo: Hoa Binh FC

Previously, there were reports that Hoa Binh FC was transferring ownership and changing its name to Phu Tho FC to participate in the First Division, but ultimately the team decided to withdraw from Vietnamese football.

With Hoa Binh FC withdrawing from the league, the First Division now has only 12 participating teams. VPF (Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company) plans to reorganize the draw for the 2025/26 First Division season on September 11, 2025.

Meanwhile, the 2025/26 National Cup will not have a redraw. According to the published schedule, Khanh Hoa FC will face Hoa Binh FC in the qualifying round of the National Cup. After Hoa Binh FC withdrew, Khanh Hoa FC advanced directly to the Round of 16 of the National Cup. The 2025/26 National Cup will feature 25 teams and 24 matches.

The 2025/26 National First Division League will start on September 19th and conclude on June 20th, 2026. The 2025/26 National Cup will begin its qualifying rounds on September 12th and the final will take place on June 28th, 2026.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/clb-hoa-binh-rut-lui-giai-hang-nhat-phai-boc-tham-lai-2440495.html