Is Dinh Bac better than Quang Hai?

The man in front is the reigning Silver Ball winner, the man behind is the Bronze Ball winner. They are currently the two biggest stars in Vietnamese football.

Dinh Bac (left) and Quang Hai are two of the biggest stars of Vietnamese football today. Photo: Minh Chien.

After the match between Hanoi Police FC and Hai Phong FC on the evening of May 2nd, coach Chu Dinh Nghiem said: "At this time, Dinh Bac is the best domestic player in V.League." He said Dinh Bac is "talented" rather than just "potential."

Comments from coach Chu Đình Nghiêm have once again reignited the controversy that arose after the 2026 U23 Asian Championship: Is Đình Bắc the best Vietnamese player currently?

Dinh Bac started slowly, but exploded at the finish line.

Those who support Dinh Bac have reason to believe this.

The U23 Vietnam player is having the best season of his career so far. In the V.League, the player from Nghe An, along with Do Hoang Hen, are the two domestic players who have scored the most goals with 10 goals (plus 1 assist).

Previously, Dinh Bac also shone in two major tournaments at the U23 level. At the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, he was the first Vietnamese player to win the Golden Boot with 4 goals and 1 assist in 6 appearances. The striker born in 2004 was also a hero on Vietnam U22's journey to winning the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games with 3 goals, 2 assists, and 3 Man of the Match awards.

Dinh Bac before and after the 2026 U23 Asian Championship.

The 22-year-old's progress is clearly evident not only at the U23 level but also in the V.League, which is considered a more demanding arena for young players. Before the two U23 training camps, Dinh Bac played 21 matches, scoring only 1 goal and providing 1 assist.

After the U23 Asian Championship, armed with the confidence of a player who had just shone on the continent, Dinh Bac underwent a transformation. He was named in the starting lineup 11 times, and his starting percentage increased from 50% to 78.6%.

On the evening of April 4th, he broke his scoring drought with a brace against Da Nang , followed by a streak of eight more goals in the V.League. At this point, no one dared to doubt Dinh Bac anymore, whether it was the youth team or the club, the V.League or Asian tournaments.

Comparisons between Dinh Bac and Quang Hai are inevitable. Both are big stars at their clubs and in the U23 team, icons of their generation. Both play in the attacking line, are the heart and soul of their teams, and are the ones who decide the success or failure of matches. The fact that they both play for Hanoi Police FC only gives people more reason to compare them.

Two impressive statistics for Quang Hai, currently one of the best playmakers in the V.League.

Quang Hai was consistent throughout the season.

Compared to Dinh Bac, Quang Hai hasn't been as explosive. He no longer has the U23 stage to shine brightly in the same way as his younger teammate. He's also not a striker, so he can't consistently score goals to prove his class.

Conversely, what Dinh Bac is struggling to prove, Hai "Con" has already accomplished long ago.

Compared to his younger teammate Dinh Bac, who is struggling to compete for a starting spot, Quang Hai is an irreplaceable player. In 35 matches for CAHN across all competitions, Hai started 32 games (28 starts in total). This means that as long as he is not injured, Hai will play in every match, from the V.League to the National Cup, from the Southeast Asian Cup to the Asian Champions League.

Achieving that requires not only skill but also physical fitness. The ability to consistently maintain that level of performance is something few Vietnamese players can do.

In V.League, if Dinh Bac is at the top of the scoring charts, then Quang Hai is also at the top of the assist charts. He has 6 assists, only behind Leo Artur (7) and Hoang Hen (8). The 29-year-old star is also third in the list of players with the most key passes with 2.0, behind Leo Artur (2.7) and Truong Tien Anh (2.1).

The next difference lies in their positions. At CAHN Club, while number 9 is a newcomer to the starting lineup, number 19 has long been a crucial part of coach Alexandre Polking's team. He is the captain, the playmaker, the leader in the locker room, and the playmaker on the field.

To put it in layman's terms, Hai is one of the rare Vietnamese players who can "gesture and show Westerners how to play." In a team with so many stars at Hanoi Police FC, Hai still stands out as the sole leader.

Behind the number 2027 on Quang Hai's contract is a small plus sign, the only plus sign at Vietnam's strongest club currently. That small symbol is proof of the great class of the number 19. Photo: Hanoi Police Club.

When Hanoi Police FC renewed Hai's contract in 2024, the term extended to 2027 but with an added plus sign. This was the only contract with a "plus sign" at the club, meaning the possibility of renewing immediately after expiration, proving the undeniable status of Quang Hai, whom Hanoi Police FC wanted to build into their immortal icon.

The same thing happens at the national team. Quang Hai is the vice-captain, an indispensable link in coach Kim Sang-sik's midfield. People have asked about the positions of captain Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Tien Linh, or even Dinh Bac. But no one has asked about Quang Hai's place.

Speaking immediately after the U23 Asian Championship in January 2026, Vietnam's head coach, Kim Sang-sik, said, "It's very difficult to compare these two players." However, he described Quang Hai as "the best in Vietnam" and Dinh Bac as having a "strong and breakthrough" style.

Speaking to Tri Thức - Znews , Đình Bắc also admitted: “Comparing me to Quang Hải is inappropriate. I have always had great respect for Quang Hải. He is an ideal role model for me to learn from, and I have learned a lot from talented players like him while playing for the Hanoi Police team.”

Source: https://znews.vn/dinh-bac-hay-hon-quang-hai-post1654864.html