Vietnam — Football

Football is by far the most popular sport in Vietnam, with a passionate following that makes it a central part of national culture. The country is home to 4 leagues featuring 0 teams, with the V.League 1 as the top-flight competition. Under South Korean coach Park Hang-seo, Vietnam experienced a golden era in the late 2010s, winning the AFF Championship and reaching the Asian Cup quarter-finals, galvanising the entire nation.

Vietnam's football development has accelerated in recent years, with improved domestic league standards, growing youth academies, and a national team that has become increasingly competitive in Southeast Asian and continental competition. The sport's popularity transcends all social boundaries, uniting a nation of nearly 100 million people behind their teams.

Football was introduced to Vietnam during the French colonial period in the late 19th century. The Vietnam Football Federation was established in 1962, and the sport has been the most popular in the country for generations. The Vietnamese love affair with football survived decades of conflict and political upheaval, and the domestic game has grown steadily since the country's economic reforms in the 1980s.

The appointment of Park Hang-seo as national team coach in 2017 marked the beginning of a transformative period for Vietnamese Football. The South Korean led the team to the 2018 AFF Championship title, a run to the AFC U-23 Championship final that captivated the nation, and a quarter-final appearance at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the best result by a Southeast Asian team in 12 years. These achievements sparked unprecedented footballing enthusiasm across Vietnam and elevated expectations for Vietnamese football's future.

The Vietnam Football Federation is the governing body of Football in Vietnam, responsible for organising domestic competitions and managing the national teams. Founded in 1962, the VFF oversees the V.League 1, the Vietnamese National Cup, and all national team operations. As a member of the AFC and FIFA, the federation has driven the professionalisation of Vietnamese football through investment in coaching, infrastructure, and youth development.

The Vietnamese Football pyramid consists of three main tiers, with V.League 1 at the summit featuring 14 clubs. V.League 2 serves as the second division, with the third tier organised regionally. The professional league was established in 2000 and has grown steadily in quality, attracting foreign investment and international players.

The Vietnamese National Cup is the main knockout competition. The Super Cup, contested between the league champion and cup winner, opens each season. The league has benefited from significant investment, with clubs like Hoang Anh Gia Lai's youth academy producing talented players who have become national team regulars.

Hanoi FC have been the dominant force in modern Vietnamese Football, winning multiple V.League 1 titles and representing Vietnam in the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup. The club has set the standard for professionalism in the domestic game. Hoang Anh Gia Lai are particularly notable for their youth academy, which has produced many of the players who drove Vietnam's recent international success.

Viettel FC (formerly The Cong), one of the oldest clubs in the country, Becamex Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City FC are among the other prominent clubs. The geographic spread of competitive clubs across Vietnam, from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south, ensures that Football serves as a national obsession rather than a regional one.

Vietnam's greatest international achievement was reaching the quarter-finals of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, where they lost narrowly to Japan. This followed the 2018 AFF Championship title and the remarkable run to the AFC U-23 Championship final, results that sparked a football revolution across the country. Vietnam has won the AFF Championship twice (2008, 2018), establishing themselves as one of the strongest nations in Southeast Asian Football.

The national team has not yet qualified for the FIFA World Cup, but Vietnam's progress in AFC qualifying and the growing quality of the domestic league suggest that Vietnam's football trajectory is firmly upward. The emergence of talented young players from the country's improving academy system provides hope for even greater achievements in the future.

The My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, with a capacity of 40,192, is the national stadium of Vietnam and hosts major international matches. The Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City is a historic venue that has been the scene of many memorable moments in Vietnamese Football. The Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi, one of the oldest in the country, adds to the capital's footballing infrastructure.

Football culture in Vietnam is extraordinarily passionate, with the sport occupying a central place in the lives of nearly 100 million Vietnamese. National team matches bring the country to a virtual standstill, with streets emptying as fans gather around televisions and smartphones. The AFF Championship campaigns generate a level of excitement comparable to World Cup fever in other nations, with motorbike convoys filling the streets in celebration after victories. European football, particularly the English Premier League, is followed with devotion, and cafes across Vietnam are packed in the early hours for live broadcasts. The intensity of Vietnamese football fandom, combined with the national team's recent successes, has created one of the most vibrant Football cultures in Southeast Asia.