Vietnamese Football 2026: When the 'Golden Fever' Meets the Harsh Reality of the Pitch

Vietnamese football is at a historic crossroads. Not a final, not a trophy, but a much bigger question: Are we building a solid foundation, or just chasing the most glittering bricks? As the entire Southeast Asian region rises strongly, from Thailand with its methodical strategy to Indonesia with its demographic strength and financial potential, Vietnamese football needs a sober, different, and deeper perspective than the familiar praises. Let's start with a sleepless night. That was the night I sat down to rewatch the entire journey of the U23 Vietnam team at the 2026 AFC U23 qualifiers. Everyone knows the results, but what caught my attention wasn't the score. I noticed how we controlled the game's tempo. In the first half, we pressed high with tremendous intensity, preventing the opponent from building up play. In the second half, our stamina dropped noticeably, the formation stretched, and we almost completely lost control of the midfield. This isn't a tactical issue, but a fitness and training curriculum issue. When I reviewed the players' distance covered data, the second-half numbers were 23% lower than the first half. Meanwhile, top Asian teams like Japan and South Korea only drop by about 10-12%. That gap isn't a one-day affair; it's the product of years of training and foundational physical development. This leads me to a somewhat counter-intuitive observation: Vietnamese football is falling behind precisely at the moment we think we're advancing the furthest. The truth is, victories at the AFF Cup or SEA Games have created a fog that obscures serious structural problems. We pride ourselves on the golden generation of players, but forget that this very generation is aging, and behind them lies a vast void. Look at the current national team. Names like Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Cong Phuong, Do Hung Dung are still the pillars, but they've all stepped over the peak of their careers. Meanwhile, the next generation – players born in 2026, 2026, 2026 – haven't yet shown they're ready to shoulder the responsibility. I've followed the U20 and U23 Vietnam matches closely over the past two years, and I must say bluntly: their individual technical level is clearly inferior to the previous generation at the same age. Where does the problem lie? The answer lies in the youth training system. We have too many football academies sprouting up like mushrooms, but the quality is wildly inconsistent. Some academies invest methodically with scientific curricula, but others are mere formalities, taking money from parents and promising a vague future. I once had the chance to talk with a veteran scout at a youth tournament in Central Vietnam. He told me a sentence I'll never forget: 'We are training players who are good at running, but not good at playing football.' What did he mean? We focus too much on physicality, on strength, on sprint drills, forgetting that modern football demands tactical thinking, match-reading ability, and individual technique at a high level. A player can run 12km per match, but if he doesn't know how to position himself, how to move intelligently, that number is meaningless. Let's compare with Thailand. They don't have as many good runners as we do, but they have players who know how to control the game's tempo. Chanathip Songkrasin, despite his age, remains one of the smartest players in the region. He doesn't run much, but every step has a purpose. That's the product of a training system that values tactical thinking from an early age. In Thailand, children as young as 8-10 are taught to read the game, to move off the ball, to create space. In Vietnam, we're still stuck in the mindset of 'running more is good', 'being strong means winning'. This is a serious strategic mistake. But I'm not blaming the young players. They are victims of a system. And that system is being distorted by those who are supposed to be protecting it. I'm talking about the clubs in V.League. The pressure for results makes teams want to buy ready-made players who can contribute immediately, rather than investing in young talents who need time to develop. As a result, young players don't get playing opportunities, don't have the environment to gain experience and grow. They're pushed to the First Division, or worse, left on the bench. I've calculated the minutes played by U23 players in the 2026-2026 V.League season. This number accounts for only about 12% of the total playing minutes in the league. Meanwhile, in Japan's J2 League, this figure reaches 25%. This gap shows we're not creating enough opportunities for the next generation. And then, there's another issue, more delicate but equally important: the financial problem. Vietnamese football is witnessing an unprecedented investment fever. Large corporations are pouring money into clubs, buying foreign players at exorbitant prices. It sounds positive, but I see a hidden danger. When money becomes the only measure of success, people will find every way to achieve it, including unhealthy ones. I'm not talking about match-fixing or negativity, but something even more dangerous: dependency. Clubs become completely dependent on a single sponsor. When that sponsor faces difficulties, the whole club collapses. We've witnessed too many such cases in the past, from teams that once dominated V.League then suddenly disappeared. The story of a club that won the V.League not long ago is a typical lesson. They spent a lot of money building a star-studded squad, but had no sustainable business plan. When the main sponsor withdrew, they couldn't pay the players, and the team dissolved in silence. The players had to leave, some retired early, others had to accept much lower salaries. This isn't an isolated story, but a common one across the entire football landscape. We need a more sustainable financial model, where clubs can be financially self-sufficient, not dependent on a single source of income. I remember an evening at a coffee shop in Hanoi, where I had the chance to sit with a group of former legends. They told me about the golden era of Vietnamese football in the 2000s, when players like Le Huynh Duc and Nguyen Hong Son dominated the pitch. They said that back then, Vietnamese football had its own identity, a technical, skillful style based on intelligence and speed. But now, that identity is gradually fading. We're trying to imitate the style of South Korea or Japan, but without their physical and tactical foundation. The result is, we become a hybrid version, unlike anyone, and equally ineffective. It's time for a revolution in thinking. Not a tactical revolution, but a revolution in how we perceive and develop football. We need to accept that, to have a strong football nation, we must invest in the roots, in the youth training system, in building a methodical football culture. This cannot be done overnight, but requires a long-term, patient, and consistent strategy. We need to learn from successful nations, not to imitate, but to draw lessons suitable for Vietnam's conditions. Look at Japan. They started their football revolution in the 1990s, with the establishment of the J.League and heavy investment in youth development. They've been persistent for over 30 years, and now they're reaping the rewards. The Japanese national team has consistently qualified for the World Cup, and their players are competing in top European leagues. They don't have as many natural talents as Brazil or Argentina, but they have an excellent training system that turns average players into outstanding ones. That's what we need to learn. I'm not saying we lack talent. We have many promising young talents. But talent alone isn't enough. Talent needs to be nurtured, developed in the right environment. And that environment currently still has many problems. I've witnessed too many cases of young talents being wasted due to lack of opportunity, unfair treatment, or lack of guidance. This is the responsibility of all of us, from managers, coaches, to journalists and fans. Another issue I want to address is the lack of professionalism in organization and management. Many clubs still operate in a 'father-son' style, where all decisions are made by one person, based on emotions and personal relationships. This leads to wrong decisions, wasting resources and harming the team's development. We need a modern, transparent, and professional governance model, where all decisions are based on data and analysis, not emotions. I also want to talk about the role of media. We have a fairly vibrant sports press, but sometimes it's too emotional, too focused on creating sensational stories, lacking deep and objective analysis. We need sports journalists with professional knowledge, tactical analysis skills, and a multi-dimensional view of the game. We need articles that not only talk about results, but also about the process, about the small details that make the difference. And finally, I want to talk about the fans. Vietnamese fans are among the most passionate in the world. They love football with all their hearts, they're willing to travel hundreds of kilometers to support their team. But sometimes, that love becomes pressure, putting undue stress on players and coaches. We need a civilized, positive cheering culture, where fans not only cheer when the team wins, but also encourage when the team loses. We need knowledgeable fans, who understand football, who can analyze and evaluate objectively. I believe Vietnamese football has enormous potential. We have talented people, a vibrant sports culture, and passionate fan support. But that potential can only be realized if we have the right strategy, methodical investment, and long-term persistence. It's time to wake up, to reassess our problems, and to act. Not for a trophy, not for a victory, but for the future of Vietnamese football. That final night I didn't sleep—Croatia taught me that the impossible always has value. And I believe Vietnamese football can also achieve the impossible, if we know how to build it from the roots. Let's start today, not tomorrow, not next year, but right now. Because the future of Vietnamese football waits for no one.