Football

Vietnamese forward Huỳnh Như is one of 33 members of Team Visa who will inspire and motivate women and young people in hard training and conquering goals. Photo courtesy of Visa Vietnam

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese football star and national team captain Huỳnh Như has been selected as part of Team Visa, aimed at promoting gender equality and elevating women's visibility in sports.

The elite group, consisting of 33 top-tier athletes from 27 different nations, boasts the highest number of female football players in Team Visa's history.

Visa's latest initiative reinforces its ongoing dedication to fostering global connectivity through sports and advocating for women in athletics, especially as the sport of women's football continues to soar to unprecedented heights.

"We've witnessed historic shifts for equity and equality in football in recent years, and Visa is committed to providing these resilient women with the tools and resources necessary to continue working for a level playing field," said Andrea Fairchild, Visa's senior vice president and head of sponsorships.

Như is a national legend with a record of five Golden Ball statues for the best player of the year, and she was the first Vietnamese female player to compete abroad.

Như is currently under a one-year contract with Portuguese side Lank FC, where she scored her seventh goal for the club on April 16, helping Lank beat Damaiense 2-1.

Như is one of seven athletes chosen from the Asia Pacific along with Ellie Carpenter of (Australia), Shanshan Wang and Haiyan Wu (China), Mana Iwabuchi (Japan), Claudia Bunge (New Zealand), Cho So-hyun (South Korea) and Inna Palacios (Philippines).

Other athletes include Debinha (Brazil), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco), Miriam Mayorga (Argentina), Sam Mewis (USA) and Didem Karagenc (Turkey).

Huỳnh Như (left) is shining in the Portuguese league, scoring seven goals for the club. Photo of Lank FC

“I am honour to be an ambassador of Visa in Việt Nam, joining hands to promote the sports spirit and feminism in the country," said Như.

"Towards the World Cup, I hope that the Việt Nam team will show the highest determination, fight hard for the colours of the flag, inspire women and young generations, and make Vietnamese pride”.

Việt Nam are in Group E with the US, the Netherlands and Portugal, competing in New Zealand.

Since 2000, Team Visa has lent crucial support to more than 500 athletes around the globe, providing them with a platform to tell their inspiring stories. To help athletes thrive personally and professionally, the programme provides financial support, assistance with philanthropic endeavours, financial literacy tools, and mental health and wellness resources.

Athletes are selected based on their personal journeys, athletic achievements, community involvement, and alignment with Visa's core values of equality, access, and inclusion.

Visa will be the exclusive payment service partner of the 2023 World Cup in Australia & New Zealand from July-August.

For more than 15 years, Visa has focused on increasing visibility for the sport at all levels, driving acceptance, and future-proofing the game. 

As attention turns toward Australia and New Zealand this July, Visa will cheer on its Team Visa athletes participating in the tournament, present the fan-voted Visa Player of the Match trophy at each match, and implement innovative payment experiences throughout official venues. VNS