Under the strategic leadership of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the effective implementation of professional development initiatives has created momentum to strengthen the will, commitment and spirit of overcoming challenges in national teams.
The achievements of 2025, from regional tournaments to continental competitions, are a clear testament to the effectiveness of the patriotic emulation movement when it is concretized with clear goals, well-structured plans and decisive actions, thereby helping to create a sustainable foundation for the development of Vietnamese football in the next stage.
Stability, resilience and significant achievements of national teams.
The qualification of seven national and youth teams to the Asian Championship in 2025-2026 is not only a historic achievement, but also a clear indication of the right direction in developing domestic resources, training youth and building a sustainable roadmap for the development of Vietnamese football.
In 2025, the Vietnam men’s national football team began its journey by winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup gold medal with eight consecutive victories, including two convincing victories over Thailand in the first and second matches of the final. Lifting the championship trophy away was a historic milestone, further boosting confidence and inspiration for Vietnamese football.
Following this tournament, the team held five training camps and played matches during FIFA Days in March, June, September, October and November, taking part in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. Wins over Laos and Nepal demonstrated the team’s competitiveness, although defeat to Malaysia hurt their chances of reaching the finals of the tournament given the generational changes in the team, injury problems and lack of consistency in form.
However, 2025 is still considered a decisive turning point, laying the groundwork for restructuring the squad and preparing for the next development cycle of the national men’s team.
In women’s football, the national women’s team held three major training camps in 2025 in preparation for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, the Southeast Asian Women’s Championship and the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, including a crucial training camp in Japan. As a result, the team qualified for the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup Finals with a flawless record, won a bronze medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Women’s Championship and demonstrated significant progress in preparation for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
At the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, the women’s team, despite failing to defend their title, played with diligence, courage and determination, once again confirming the status, competitive spirit and professional image of Vietnamese women’s football in the ever-increasing regional level.
Youth football continues to be a vital pillar of overall success. The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has invested heavily in the national men’s U22/U23 team, organizing 7 training camps and international competitions, including high-quality friendly tournaments in China. As a result, the team won the 2025 SEA U23 Championship for the third time in a row and also performed well in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers, ending the season with a perfect record.
At the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, the Vietnam U22 national team made a strong impression with a compelling performance, clearly demonstrating their character, fighting spirit and professional maturity. The SEA Games men’s football final was a valuable lesson, showing that as long as there is determination and no room for giving up, there is always hope. This success is clear proof of the effectiveness of the long-term, scientifically based and in-depth training process that the Vietnam Football Federation has been steadily implementing.
Youth training, futsal and sustainable development.
Along with grass football, Vietnamese futsal continues to show impressive progress in 2025. The Vietnam men’s futsal team performed consistently in the 2026 AFC Asian Futsal Championship qualifying games, qualifying for the finals with a perfect record, and actively prepared for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games. The Vietnam women’s futsal team also reached the quarter-finals of the 2025 Asian Women’s Futsal Championship finals, showing significant progress.
In particular, at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, the Vietnam women’s futsal team won the gold medal for the first time in history, which brought great pride to the fans and confirmed the significant progress of Vietnam women’s futsal on the regional stage.
Youth football development continues to play a key role in the long-term development strategy of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). National youth teams have achieved many positive results in 2025, demonstrating balanced development and depth of talent.
In women’s football, the U19 women’s team won a silver medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Women’s Under-19 Championship, the U16 women’s team won a bronze medal at the same championship, and the U20 and U17 women’s teams successfully qualified for the 2026 Asian Championship finals.
In men’s football, Vietnam’s under-17 team also excelled, securing a place in the finals of the 2026 AFC Under-17 Championship with a flawless performance in the qualifying round. These results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of youth training, confirming the continuity, stability and long-term development potential of Vietnamese football.
A solid foundation for the next stage of development.
It is safe to say that with the participation of 7 national and youth teams in the 2025 and 2026 Asian Championships, as well as outstanding achievements in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games and other regional competitions, 2025 will be a year of all-round success for Vietnamese football.
The results achieved not only reflect the efforts and dedication of the teams, coaches and players, but also demonstrate the clear effectiveness of the Vietnam Football Federation’s focused, systematic and comprehensive investment strategy.
Looking back in 2025, it is clear that the achievements of Vietnamese football are not only the result of individual efforts or brilliant moments on the field, but also the fruit of an entire process of organizing and implementing patriotic imitative movements closely related to professional activities.
The effective creation and maintenance of imitation movements fostered the development of a sense of responsibility, the will to overcome difficulties and the desire to contribute in every team, every coach and every athlete, thereby creating a unified force for the entire national football system.
With the ever-evolving regional and continental football, the patriotic emulation movement continues to prove its role as an important driving force in helping Vietnamese football maintain its strength, maintain its heritage and improve its competitiveness. More importantly, through the concrete results of 2025, the patriotic emulation movement has gained clear goals, systematic plans and practical actions, helping to build the foundation for sustainable development.
This serves as the basis for Vietnamese football to continue its steady progress, allowing it to strengthen its position and strive for higher goals in the next stage of development.
(Implementation is carried out by the Department of Personnel and Organization of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)
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