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Vietnamese football concludes 2025 on a bright note, laying the foundation for reaching even greater milestones in the future.

2025 is not just a year of trophies, medals, or tickets to continental finals, but also a journey marking the comprehensive and sustainable growth of Vietnamese football on the Asian map.

Men's national team: The mettle of champions

The year 2025 begins with the glorious afterglow of the 2024 ASEAN Cup (AFF Cup) championship, the third regional title in the history of the Vietnamese national team. Most memorable of all, it was the trophy lifted on away soil, against Thailand – a moment symbolizing the courage, willpower, and maturity of the "Golden Star Warriors".

Vietnam U23 team enters the "top three" group at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship in Saudi Arabia, after defeating South Korea in the third-place match on the evening of January 23, 2026 (Vietnam time). Photo: AFC

The AFF Cup championship is not only a well-deserved reward for the players and coaching staff, but also a confirmation of Vietnam's position as the number one football team in Southeast Asia in this new era. Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) President Tran Quoc Tuan once emphasized: "The ASEAN Cup championship is the result of a long-term development process, from training and organization to the players' unwavering fighting spirit."

Following that impressive achievement, the Vietnamese national team entered international matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. While the results weren't ideal, it was still considered a necessary transitional phase, laying the foundation for a new cycle of development. Most importantly, the team maintained its identity, its resilient fighting spirit, and the fans' faith.

Vietnamese Women's Football: Enduring and Proud

In 2025, the Vietnamese women's national team continued to demonstrate its leading position in the region. In the 2026 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, the girls in red played convincingly, securing a ticket to the Asian finals – a tournament of vital importance for their World Cup dream.

In Southeast Asian competitions, the women's team won a Bronze Medal at the Southeast Asian Women's Championship and a Silver Medal at the 33rd SEA Games. Although they were unable to successfully defend their regional title, the team's journey has received great recognition from experts and fans alike.

Witnessing the tears of regret from the female players after the SEA Games 33 women's football final, Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan shared emotionally: "The women's football team fought with all their pride. There are regrets, but that's part of high-level sports . The important thing is that the spirit, will, and aspiration to excel are always present."

Vietnam U22 - U23: A golden generation is emerging.

If we had to choose the most brilliant highlight of Vietnamese football in 2025, it would be the resounding success of the U22 and U23 national teams.

At the 33rd SEA Games, the Vietnam U22 team wrote one of the most memorable chapters in history. The breathtaking final match against host Thailand, where the young players were trailing but still bravely fought back to win the Gold Medal, became a symbol of the "never give up" spirit of Vietnamese football.

The U22 Vietnam team winning the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games is an impressive image of Vietnamese football in 2025. Photo: Ngoc Linh

The VFF President remarked that the comeback by coach Kim Sang-sik's team was one of the "masterpieces" of world football. "Very few teams can do this! The SEA Games 33 final is not for the faint of heart. When trailing by two goals, some Vietnamese viewers had to turn off their TVs out of worry, but they erupted with joy at the final victory of the U22 Vietnam team," Mr. Tuan affirmed.

Prior to this, this talented group of players also won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, completing a hat-trick of consecutive titles - an unprecedented achievement in the history of the tournament. At the same time, the national U23 team also won all qualifying rounds with clean sheets, and at the 2026 Asian U23 Championship in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam U23 won many matches convincingly to secure third place overall.

VFF Vice President Tran Anh Tu affirmed: "The success of the U22 and U23 teams did not come from luck, but is the result of a thorough preparation process, with clear planning, direction, and serious investment."

These achievements not only brought titles, but also instilled great confidence that Vietnamese football possesses a generation of players capable of carrying the future.

Vietnamese Futsal: Historic Steps Forward

2025 also marks a turning point for Vietnamese futsal, especially in the women's category. For the first time in history, the Vietnamese women's futsal team won the SEA Games gold medal after a series of convincing victories. This is considered a historic milestone, affirming the comprehensive development of futsal in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, men's futsal continued to maintain its leading position in the region, winning all qualifying rounds to secure a spot in the Asian Futsal Championship Finals. These results demonstrate that the VFF's systematic investment strategy in futsal is on the right track.

2025 is considered a remarkably successful year for Vietnamese football at the regional and continental levels. Under the strategic direction and focused investment of the VFF, Vietnamese football has achieved a significant milestone with seven national and youth teams qualifying for the Asian Championships Finals in the 2025-2026 period.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tin-vao-bong-da-viet-nam-196260213101733196.htm