Watching Malaysia, I miss Cong Phuong.

Once an icon, Công Phượng's fading popularity has led him to gradually move away from the spotlight. Is the "Vietnamese Messi" slowly fading into oblivion?

Cong Phuong is currently playing for Dong Nai Club in the First Division.

Last June, coach Kim Sang-sik gave Cong Phuong a chance to return when the Vietnamese national team played away against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, after less than a week of training, the striker had to leave the team due to injury.

Currently, as the Vietnamese national team continues to prepare for the match against Malaysia, the name Cong Phuong is being mentioned again. Of course, he is not on the list of players called up.

At 31, he's not too old, but Công Phượng's absence from the national team still leaves many feeling regretful. More than a decade ago, he was a phenomenon in Vietnamese football, expected to become the top scorer during the national team's rise.

However, reality did not live up to expectations. Cong Phuong's contributions at the national team level were not particularly outstanding, falling short compared to other strikers of his time such as Tuan Hai or Tien Linh.

His most recent goal for the Vietnamese national team came in a 2-0 friendly win against Palestine in September 2023. Since then, Cong Phuong has only been called up twice more, in March 2024 under coach Philippe Troussier and in June 2025 under coach Kim Sang-sik. After 51 matches, he has scored 11 goals, a performance that is not high considering the expectations that were once placed on him.

Nearly 30 months without two national team calls-ups is a thought-provoking statistic. It's also a consequence of his controversial career choices. After leaving HAGL, Công Phượng's subsequent clubs didn't prioritize professional performance.

Cong Phuong has not yet reached the level expected of him.

Joining Yokohama for the 2023/24 season was met with skepticism from many, as he struggled to compete in the Japanese football environment. Subsequently, the striker chose to play for Binh Phuoc (now Dong Nai), where financial considerations were believed to be more significant than his desire to regain his form. Around the same time, Ninh Binh also extended an offer, but it wasn't his final choice.

A top-class player needs a suitable environment to develop. Meanwhile, the First Division only has a few teams that meet the required professional standards, while the rest are significantly lower in quality compared to the V.League. This makes maintaining and improving performance difficult.

Statistics show that Cong Phuong is still among the top scorers. In the 2024/25 season, he scored 7 goals for Binh Phuoc (Dong Nai), 2 goals behind the leader Tu Nhan. However, this number is not commensurate with the expectations for a striker who was once highly rated, especially when the league does not use foreign players.

Meanwhile, players like Hoang Duc, who admitted to choosing the First Division for financial reasons, quickly returned to the V.League to prove their worth. For Cong Phuong, his missed penalty in the play-off match against Da Nang at the end of last season cost him the chance to return to the top league.

In the 2025/26 season, Cong Phuong's contribution to Dong Nai was almost non-existent. He only played 45 minutes in the match against Khanh Hoa in February, before being sidelined again due to a long-term injury. For most of the time, the striker's familiar position was in the stands.

Nevertheless, Công Phượng's personal appeal remains. The image of fans asking for autographs when Đồng Nai played against CA TP.HCM in the National Cup quarter-finals shows that he still holds a special place in the hearts of the audience. However, in the media, the name that once dominated the headlines now appears less and less frequently.

Dong Nai is almost certain to be promoted to the V.League next season as they have no worthy rivals. However, as he gets older and his playing time decreases, the question is whether Cong Phuong still has a chance to return to his peak, or whether he will quietly end his career with regret.

Source: https://znews.vn/xem-malaysia-nho-cong-phuong-post1639598.html