Pham Ly Duc: The never-give-up spirit of a courageous young man.

Pham Ly Duc's journey to professional football and the Vietnamese national team was not a bed of roses, but marked by immense effort and unwavering desire to pursue his dream.

Ly Duc is a key player for the Vietnam U.23 team, expected to achieve numerous successes in 2025 and 2026.

Photo: Nhat Thinh

Pham Ly Duc: A Brave Warrior

On December 18, 2025, at the Rajamangala Stadium, from a corner kick in the 60th minute, center-back Pham Ly Duc jumped significantly higher, putting pressure on the U.23 Thailand defender, forcing him to score an own goal, helping U.23 Vietnam equalize 2-2, ultimately winning 3-2 to claim the SEA Games 33 gold medal.

Earlier in the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship, Ly Duc also made his mark with a goal in the 35th minute, helping Vietnam U.23 secure a 2-1 victory against Cambodia U.23 to advance to the semi-finals as group B winners and subsequently win the championship by defeating host Indonesia.

After winning two regional championships (Gold Medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship and the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand), Ly Duc continued to be an extremely important piece of the puzzle for the Vietnam U.23 team conquering the 2026 Asian U.23 Championship, where coach Kim Sang-sik's team defeated South Korea U.23 to win the bronze medal.

Previously, Ly Duc had taken an important step towards joining the Vietnamese national team when he was called up by coach Kim Sang-sik for the opening match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Laos (March 25), where he was on the bench, before being brought on to play in the away match against Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Stadium on June 10, 2025.

Ly Duc (20) debut match for Vietnam national team at Bukit Jalil Stadium of Malaysia

Photo: Ngoc Linh

Step by step, the young man born in (formerly Long Thuan Commune, Ben Cau District, Tay Ninh Province) has made strong progress at various national team levels thanks to his impressive physique (1.82 m tall) and powerful, modern playing style.

But few people know that, despite showing a love and talent for football from the age of 3, the journey of the central defender born in 2003 to the king of sports was not a bed of roses; on the contrary, he had to overcome countless difficulties and obstacles.

Initially, Ly Duc faced opposition from his family, especially his parents who wanted him to pursue a formal education to secure a stable career. Fortunately, his maternal grandmother's determination and endorsement helped Ly Duc take the entrance exam and be accepted into the PVF Academy in 2013.

In 2016, when Ly Duc was utterly distraught after his name was on the list of those eliminated following the most rigorous selection process in the history of the PVF Academy, his three older brothers unexpectedly took their motorbikes and rode for 4-5 hours in the rain from Tay Ninh to Dong Thap to take Ly Duc to the qualifying round for the first intake of the Nutifood Football Academy.

At the age of 18, Ly Duc, along with the Nutifood U.21 team, won the 2021 National U.21 Championship.

Photo: Kha Hoa

At the Nutifood Football Academy, Pham Ly Duc is living in an environment that fosters holistic development in terms of professional skills, culture, and psychology, similar to how players like Cong Phuong, Tuan Anh, and Xuan Truong grew up under the guidance of coach Guillaume Graechen.

Ly Duc shared: "My path to football has been full of challenges, but thanks to them I've learned to appreciate what's most precious. My parents, who initially opposed me, have become my solid support, my companions, and my special encouragement, helping me to always move forward strongly."

The mornings when my mother drove me home, and the next day the three of us woke up at 3 a.m. to return to the academy, are still etched in my memory… Especially, Nutifood and Coach Giom gave me a second chance to pursue my dream, providing me with the perfect environment to become the ideal player for modern football.

Nutifood Football Academy provided us with an excellent nutritional regime. The coaches cared for us meticulously, from our meals and sleep to our professional training, academic studies, and even the smallest details of proper conduct…”.

A cultural education session at Nutifood Football Academy.

Photo: Linh Nhi

Experts conduct height checks at Nutifood Football Academy.

Photo: Linh Nhi

In 2021, at the age of 18, Ly Duc, along with Quoc Viet, Nhat Minh, and others, won the 2021 National U.21 Championship with Nutifood U.21. In 2024, he and his teammates, along with HAGL U.21, once again won the National U.21 Championship.

Remember at the SEA Games 33 and the AFC U-23 Championship, Ly Duc made a strong impression on the media when he confidently sat with coach Kim Sang-sik and spoke fluent English with international media during press conferences of the Vietnam U-23 team.

Ly Duc shared: "At this point, I appreciate even more the learning period at the Nutifood Football Academy. From lessons on diet to communication, to the mandatory requirement of having to memorize 10 new English words every day before going to bed..."

Currently, I and many of my friends are in our final year of a regular university program at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports. This is all thanks to the years we spent at the Nutifood Football Academy in Ho Chi Minh City and later at the Ham Rong center."

Having concluded his youth football career, at the age of 23, Ly Duc is currently on loan to help PVF-CAND fight against relegation, with the ultimate goal of improving himself in a professional environment and establishing himself in the Vietnamese national team.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/pham-ly-duc-tinh-than-khong-tu-bo-cua-chang-trai-dung-cam-18526052114480985.htm