Shaping the Next Generation of Vietnamese Football

The Vietnam national team achieved a remarkable feat by defeating Thailand 4-2 on aggregate across the two-legged 2026 ASEAN Cup final. This victory marked their fourth regional title—and second consecutive one—while also making Nguyen Quang Hai the first player in history to win the trophy three times in his career.

However, beyond the medals lies a more pressing practical question: who will step up when the current generation eventually retires?

Young Talents Poised for the Spotlight

Kim Sang-sik has openly declared his determination to build a robust squad depth, even while the national team is currently at the peak of its form.

During recent training camps preparing for the ASEAN Cup, young players such as Nguyen Dinh Bac, Tran Trung Kien, and Dinh Quang Kiet have been given valuable match experience. Dinh Quang Kiet, a 1.95m tall center-back born in 2007, is the youngest player in the squad.

These opportunities have allowed them to see actual playing time rather than remaining confined to the bench. For fans tracking these players ahead of the new season, odds from Melbet reflect the high expectations placed upon them, highlighting the distinction between these young prospects and their more seasoned teammates. One of the standout players in this trend is Nguyen Dinh Bac.

Born in 2004, he concluded the tournament with a tally of five goals—starting with a hat-trick against Timor-Leste—and later provided a beautiful back-heel assist for Nguyen Hai Long to score in the first leg of the final.

He not only played a key role in his team’s championship victory but also secured two individual honors: Best Player and Top Scorer (sharing the latter with Xuan Son). This achievement followed his status as the top scorer at the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship just months earlier.

Winning the top scorer award in two different tournaments within the same year has elevated Dinh Bac beyond the label of merely a “promising talent.”

Staying updated on the national team’s progress is also far more convenient now than it was a few years ago. Many fans follow the Vietnam team’s friendly matches and training sessions directly on their phones via the Melbet app, rather than waiting for news roundups in the next morning’s newspapers.

The naturalization issue remains unresolved

The topic of naturalized players—such as Nguyen Xuan Son, Nguyen Tai Loc (Geovane Magno), and Do Hoang Hen (Hendrio)—continues to spark debate among experts.

Opinions voiced in the Thai media following the recent match suggest that naturalization has helped Vietnam maintain its winning streak; however, many domestic fans worry that this practice could hinder the development of homegrown talent. Three factors are influencing Kim Sang-sik’s squad decisions:

• Retaining the experienced core—including Dang Van Lam, Nguyen Quang Hai, and Nguyen Hoang Duc—to ensure tactical stability.
• Gradually integrating players born after 2003 into the starting lineup for lower-pressure matches.
• Utilizing naturalized players as a short-term solution for positions lacking depth.

Xuan Son’s story is a prime example of how the line between a temporary stopgap and an irreplaceable pillar can blur. After recovering for over a year from a severe leg fracture, the striker returned to peak fitness ahead of the 2026 ASEAN Cup; he scored in the opener against Timor-Leste (a 7-0 victory) and subsequently delivered an outstanding performance in the semi-final against Malaysia.

A quick comparison of the two player generations

Overall, Vietnam’s current squad is clearly divided into two groups based on roles and international experience, as illustrated in the comparison table below.

The upcoming ASEAN Cup campaign will be a true test for this young generation of players; it is no longer merely a training exercise, but an opportunity for them to prove they can lead the national team as veteran stars gradually step back from the forefront.