New features of the Golden Ball 2025

Qảu bóng vàng 2025 - Ảnh 1. — Hoang Duc (right) - one of the potential candidates for the Vietnam Golden Ball 2025 - Photo: NK

"The goal against Myanmar in the 1995 SEA Games semi-final was a special mark in my career and in Vietnamese football. When I returned home, I learned that the Golden Ball award would be held - an honor that any player would look forward to. Because it is a worthy recognition for their efforts," former football star Tran Minh Chien shared about the goal and the birth of the award 30 years ago.

New features in the 30-year tournament

The first new feature is that the organizers will award the winner in the same year the Golden Ball is held instead of extending it to the following year like in previous seasons. Immediately after the press conference to launch the 2025 Vietnam Golden Ball award, the organizers will send the ballots and nomination list to the delegates.

Since there is still SEA Games 33 left until the end of the year for delegates to consider voting, the organizing committee will collect the ballots no later than December 21, one day after the end of SEA Games 33. And the award gala in Ho Chi Minh City will take place before the end of 2025. This new feature has received a lot of approval.

Another new feature is the introduction of the Most Favorite Player award - which will be voted for through online voting for Vietnamese football fans. Voting period is from December 9 to 22, 2025.

Who will win the Vietnam Golden Ball 2025?

In the category of the Men's Golden Ball, choosing the winner is not easy, when the faces included in the voting list are not too outstanding compared to the rest. Moreover, the Vietnamese team does not have many outstanding tournaments other than winning the ASEAN Cup 2024 and competing for a ticket to the final round of the Asian Cup 2027.

Therefore, the current Golden Ball winner Nguyen Tien Linh is not highly rated in this year's tournament as he does not have many opportunities to perform in the Vietnam national team. At the club level, Tien Linh has only scored 3 goals since the beginning of the 2025 - 2026 V-League season. Although highly rated in the race for the 2025 Golden Ball, Hoang Duc's persuasiveness is not completely superior. This is because Hoang Duc only won the 2024 - 2025 First Division Championship, which is not very competitive, and is currently temporarily leading the 2025 - 2026 V-League with Ninh Binh Club. But this does not say much if Ninh Binh Club can be surpassed by Quang Hai and the Hanoi Police Club (CAHN) in the near future.

Quang Hai is also Hoang Duc's biggest rival in this race. In addition to his excellence and breakthrough moments, Quang Hai greatly influences the playing style and achievements of CAHN Club. Similarly, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh can also dream of the Golden Ball when he is playing impressively for both CAHN Club and the national team. The vice-captain role that coach Kim Sang Sik gave Quang Vinh in the FIFA Days training session in October partly shows that Mr. Kim highly values his expertise.

However, the young players currently playing for the Vietnamese national team are also capable of making a coup if they play well and help the U22 Vietnam team win the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games. Since this is one of the factors that affects the votes of experts, Dinh Bac (CAHN), Van Khang (The Cong - Viettel ) or Trung Kien are bright candidates after helping the U23 Vietnam team win the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and winning a ticket to the 2026 Asian U23 Finals.

No name Xuan Son

Naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son is not on the list of nominees for the 2025 Vietnam Golden Ball award. According to the organizers, Xuan Son's absence is due to a serious injury after the 2024 ASEAN Cup final and a long-term absence.

"Even if Xuan Son is called up to the national team this November, he will only have time to play one match against Laos in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup in 2025. That is not enough basis to consider the title of Vietnam Golden Ball. We understand Xuan Son's great contributions to Vietnamese football. But if a player does not play the whole season but is still included in the voting list, it will be unfair to other players" - Mr. Tran Anh Tu, Vice President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), affirmed.

Xuan Son returns to the Vietnam national team

On November 6, Coach Kim Sang Sik announced the list of 23 players of the Vietnamese team to prepare for the match against Laos in the second leg of the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. The whole team will gather on November 10 in Viet Tri ( Phu Tho ) and is expected to move to Laos on November 15 to prepare for the match 4 days later.

Compared to the FIFA Days training camp in October, this time the squad has two new players, both 25 years old: center back Khong Minh Gia Bao (Cong An TP.HCM) and striker Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong (Becamex TP.HCM). In addition, coach Kim Sang Sik also called naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son back to the team after nearly a year off to treat an injury.

In addition, Mr. Kim Sang Sik also announced the list of 26 players of the Vietnam U22 team to prepare for the CFA Team China Panda Cup 2025 International Friendly Tournament in China and towards the 33rd SEA Games taking place in Thailand next December.

This is the strongest gathering of the Vietnam U22 team since the beginning of the year. Among them are 8 faces who played for the Vietnam team in October: goalkeeper Trung Kien, central defender Nhat Minh, Huu Minh, defender Phi Hoang, Khuat Van Khang, midfielder Thai Son, Xuan Bac and striker Dinh Bac. Another notable point is the return of striker Bui Vi Hao after a long time of injury treatment.

According to the plan, the Vietnam U22 team will gather on November 9 under the leadership of acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh. At the Panda Cup 2025, the Vietnam U22 team will meet China U22 (November 12), Korea U22 (November 15) and Uzbekistan U22 (November 18). Immediately after that, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team will enter the final training session for the 33rd SEA Games from November 23 in Vung Tau and are expected to leave for Thailand on December 2.

At SEA Games 33, the U22 Vietnam team is in Group B and will meet U22 Laos (December 4) and U22 Malaysia (December 11) in Songkhla.

NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/net-moi-cua-qua-bong-vang-2025-20251107081044737.htm