V-League value skyrockets: Real prosperity or just a 'bubble'?

The boost from million dollar contracts

The V-League transfer market has never been as exciting and expensive as the 2025/26 season. The status of Vietnam's highest league has been raised to a new level with the appearance of a series of quality foreign players, valued at up to millions of USD.

Blockbuster contracts like Percy Tau of Nam Dinh FC or Matheus Felipe of CA TP.HCM FC have created a real boost. They not only bring superior professional level but also bring brand value to the teams and the tournament.

The appearance of million-dollar foreign players like Percy Tau. Photo: CLB

The appearance of these expensive stars has created a domino effect. In order to compete, other teams are also forced to invest heavily, bringing in players of comparable quality.

As a result, the general level of player value in V-League has been pushed up in a synchronous manner. The fact that a tournament has many highly valued players shows its attractiveness and financial potential.

Clearly, the V-League is becoming richer and more glittering than ever, at least in terms of statistics.

Hope for real value, not "bubble"

The remarkable growth in transfer value is something to be proud of, but it also raises a great deal of concern in the hearts of Vietnamese football fans.

The expensive lesson from the 2009-2013 "bubble" period is still there. At that time, V-League also witnessed a crazy money race. Clubs with the support of many bosses spent money to recruit stars, paying "sky-high" salaries without a sustainable financial foundation.

V-League enters the challenge: real value or just a "bubble"?

As a result, after only a few seasons when the owners withdrew, a series of football teams fell into debt, dissolved, disappeared and held back the development of the entire football industry for many years afterwards.

So the biggest question now is: is the current prosperity of V-League real value? Does the glamour go hand in hand with professionalism in management, proper investment in youth training and facilities?

The answer remains to be seen, but hopefully the monetary value will translate into professional value on the pitch, improving the quality of matches and the competitiveness of the V-League.

More importantly, it must be sustainable, based on the ability to generate revenue from television rights, sponsorship, ticket sales and commercial activities.

Only then will the wealth of V-League truly have meaning, becoming a solid launching pad to elevate the entire Vietnamese football scene.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/gia-tri-v-league-tang-vot-thinh-vuong-that-hay-chi-la-bong-bong-2433806.html