The era of overseas Vietnamese players

The movements of overseas Vietnamese players and players of Vietnamese origin will become more active in the 2025-2026 season as Vietnamese football welcomes its sons and daughters returning home after being away for so long.

Midfielder Vadim Nguyen continues to have opportunities to showcase his talent in the Vietnam U23 team - Photo: VFF

Vietnamese players living abroad who have proven their abilities in the V-League have been given the opportunity to advance to the Vietnamese national teams. This marks a turning point in their football careers in their homeland.

Efforts to gain a foothold

Nguyen Vadim, a Vietnamese-born player from Da Nang FC, has been called up to the Vietnam U23 team to prepare for the CFA friendly tournament in China. Vadim will continue to be included in the Vietnam U23 squad by coach Kim Sang Sik after the September 2025 tournament to assess his adaptability.

Vadim will make his debut for the Han River team from the 2025-2026 season. The Russian midfielder, born in 2005, has a skillful and tricky playing style, impressing coach Le Duc Tuan after many training sessions. Vadim has only played in 6 out of 14 matches since the beginning of the season and has only recently recovered from injury.

Since the V-League opened its doors to teams with two slots for overseas Vietnamese players, the wave of transfers for players of Vietnamese origin has become vibrant. It is estimated that in the 2025-2026 season, there are at least 20 overseas Vietnamese players (with Vietnamese citizenship and ancestry) currently playing or training, awaiting their opportunity.

The success of those who came before opens up a clearer future for overseas Vietnamese players to return home and pursue their careers. This is particularly true for the goalkeeper position in the Vietnamese national team. Coach Kim Sang Sik can call up three overseas Vietnamese goalkeepers simultaneously after Patrik Le Giang obtained Vietnamese citizenship, alongside Nguyen Filip and Van Lam.

Choose or adapt

While the transfer of overseas Vietnamese players is booming in men's football, it's somewhat less prominent in women's football. The Ho Chi Minh City women's club is preparing for the 2025-2026 AFC Women's Champions League quarter-finals without any overseas Vietnamese female players in their plans; instead, they are only recruiting foreign players as per regulations.

Coach Doan Thi Kim Chi lamented that she couldn't find any Vietnamese-born female players for the match against Naegohyang (North Korea) at a neutral venue in Laos at the end of March. The reason is that the Vietnamese-born players already have clubs and it's difficult for them to play short-term matches of 1-2 games.

Chelsea Le, a striker who played for Ho Chi Minh City Women's FC last season, has decided to sign a contract with Club Leon Femenil in the Mexican National League. Another female player, Eva Nguyen (born in 2005, Dutch nationality), recently joined ADO Den Haag earlier this year to secure her future.

Vietnamese football benefits

Returning to Vietnam to seek opportunities, Vietnamese players of overseas origin harbor some degree of expectation that they possess abilities superior to those of local players. If they demonstrate a difference or superiority, these Vietnamese-born players will have the chance to showcase their talents. Conversely, some choose to leave if they find the situation unsuitable.

The larger the wave of overseas Vietnamese players returning home, the more Vietnamese football benefits. Evidence of this is the significant increase in the number of overseas Vietnamese players in the Vietnamese national team. Previously, there was only one, but now there are four (three goalkeepers and Cao Pendant Quang Vinh). The same trend is happening at the youth level, such as the U23 team.

QUANG THINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thoi-cua-cau-thu-viet-kieu-20260312095706685.htm