The Việt Nam national football team celebrating their championship after beating Thailand 5-3 on aggregate in the 2024 ASEAN Championship final. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

by Anh Đức, Thanh Nga, Xuân Đăng & Khánh An

The Việt Nam national football team defied odds and expectations to win their third ASEAN Championship after a six-year drought, the first-ever championship victory away from home.

In a year when everything started terribly for the Golden Star Warriors—with only one victory in international matches before the 2024 ASEAN Championship and the national team head coach replaced after one of the most disappointing performances in the team's history—a surprise turnaround stunned doubters and reaffirmed Việt Nam's position as one of the powerhouses of ASEAN football.

The team began slowly with a 4-1 win against Laos, a narrow 1-0 victory against Indonesia, and a last-minute 1-1 draw in Manila against the Philippines. A new player emerged who captured everyone's attention: Nguyễn Xuân Son. He changed the game completely with his stunning debut against Myanmar, where he helped the team secure a 5-0 victory at home to earn a semifinal berth.

In the semifinals against Singapore, the Lions made it difficult during the first leg, but two injury-time goals from Son and Nguyễn Tiến Linh dashed their hopes. Việt Nam sealed their spot in the final with a decisive 3-1 win in the second leg.

The final pitted Việt Nam against their fierce rivals Thailand in one of the most exciting ASEAN Championship finals in history. The Golden Star Warriors led 2-0 at home in Việt Trì Stadium with a brace from Brazilian-Vietnamese Son, before Chalermsak Aukkee pulled one back for the War Elephants heading into the second leg in Bangkok.

What followed at Rajamangala Stadium was a rollercoaster of emotions. In the end, Việt Nam triumphed with a 3-2 win in the second leg, securing a 5-3 aggregate victory.

The Golden Star Warriors opened the scoring early through Phạm Tuấn Hải, but Thailand equalised with a stunning strike from Ben Davis. Rising star and tournament top scorer Son had to leave the match early after a serious injury just before halftime.

Thailand briefly took the lead with a controversial goal by Supachok Sarachat, but Weerathep Pomphan’s red card diminished their hopes of a comeback. Việt Nam found the equaliser with an own goal by Pansa Hemviboon and sealed victory in dramatic fashion with a 40-metre stunner from Nguyễn Hai Long in the dying seconds.

The win reignited a passion for Vietnamese football, with millions flooding the streets across cities and provinces to celebrate the team's long-awaited triumph. Festivities continued well into the following day.

The players were rewarded with substantial bonuses and accolades after their championship victory, receiving an estimated VNĐ35 billion (US$1.3 million) from sponsors and organisations, in addition to the AFF's $300,000 prize for first place.

The team received the prestigious First-Class Labour Order from the State, while standout players Nguyễn Xuân Son, Đỗ Duy Mạnh, Nguyễn Quang Hải, Nguyễn Tiến Linh, Nguyễn Hoàng Đức, and Nguyễn Đình Triệu were awarded the Third-Class Labour Order. Twenty-nine individuals also received Certificates of Merit for their contributions.

"The last goal by Nguyễn Hai Long, as the ball gracefully rolled into the net, encapsulated the essence of our victory—a gentle yet powerful moment that left our opponents in awe," said Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính during a celebration ceremony at the Government Office in Hà Nội on January 6.

Việt Nam News presents profiles of the 26-man roster who contributed to Việt Nam’s historic victory:

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Nguyễn Đình Triệu. Photos courtesy of the VFF.

​#21 Nguyễn Đình Triệu, 33, goalkeeper

Making his professional debut at the age of 29, the goalkeeper has proven that as long as you put in the effort, you will be rewarded accordingly. Born in Thái Bình Province, Triệu joined Hà Nội T&T FC (now Hà Nội FC) as a trainee at the age of 17. However, four years later, he decided to quit. Struggling to break into the club's first team, he felt his career had stalled. He moved to Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu Province, where he worked as a security guard and studied IT. Coach Nguyễn Minh Phương of Bình Phước FC discovered his talent and offered him a place at the V.League 2 club in 2020. His great performance there got him a contract with V.League 1’s Hải Phòng FC in 2022.

Nguyễn Filip

#1, Nguyễn Filip, 31, goalkeeper

Born in the Czech Republic to a Czech mother and a Vietnamese father, Filip began his professional career at Sparta Prague before playing for clubs such as Bydzov, Vlasim, Slovan Liberec and Slovacko. He made his name when playing for Slovan Liberec winning the best goalkeeper award of the domestic league in the 2018-19 season. Although Filip was called up to the Czech Republic national team, he remained eligible to represent Việt Nam as he did not make an official appearance for the European side. He became the most expensive goalkeeper of V.League 1 after signing a contract with Hà Nội Police FC in 2023. The naturalised goalkeeper also won the league championship in his first season in Việt Nam.

Trần Trung Kiên

#23 Trần Trung Kiên, 21, goalkeeper

Kiên stands out for his height (1.88m) compared to his peers. He began his football career in 2018 after he was admitted to the Hoàng Anh Gia Lai and made his professional debut in 2023. Kiên was included in Việt Nam U23 squad for the 2023 AFF U-23 Championship and received his first call up to the Việt Nam national team for the friendly game against India.

Bùi Tiến Dũng

#4 Bùi Tiến Dũng, 29, centre-back

Dũng graduated from the Thể Công Viettel's youth academy. He helped the team get promoted from V-League 2 in 2018 and win V-League 1 in 2020. Dũng is known for his strong defensive actions. He was also one of the five players who played the full 630 minutes with U-23 Việt Nam at the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship. He scored the decisive penalty to help Việt Nam reach the quarter-finals against Jordan in that tournament.

Nguyễn Văn Vĩ

#3 Nguyễn Văn Vĩ, 26, left-back

Vĩ was added to Việt Nam's 26-man squad for the 2024 ASEAN Championship at the last minute to help with the team's left flank, thanks to his skill in dribbling and crossing. He was from the Hà Nội FC's youth academy. He has won the V.League championship twice in a row with Hà Nội FC in 2022 and Thép Xanh Nam Định in 2023-2024 and won the First Division once with Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh FC in 2019.

Trương Tiến Anh

#5 Trương Tiến Anh, 25, left-back

Tiến Anh began his career at Viettel FC, making his professional debut in 2019 and was part of the 2020 V.League 1 winning team. In June 2023, he was called up to the senior Việt Nam squad for first time, for friendlies against Hong Kong and Syria. He scored his first international goal in Việt Nam's 2-1 defeat against Kyrgyzstan during a friendly.

Hồ Tấn Tài

#13 Hồ Tấn Tài, 27, left-back

Tài began his career with Bình Định’s youth team and later joined the senior squad in 2015. He moved to Việt Nam’s top division club, Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, before returning to Bình Định FC. Tài is known for his strong defensive skills, pace, and ability to support attacks. He represented Việt Nam in various international competitions, including the 2022 AFF Championship, helping the team secure victories. Tài sustained an injury in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 semifinal against Singapore and required surgery for his right knee ligament.

Phạm Xuân Mạnh

#7 Phạm Xuân Mạnh, 28, centre-back/right-back

Born in Nghệ An Province, Mạnh started his career at the youth academy of Nghệ An FC before moving to Hà Nội FC. As a right-back midfielder, he is known for his strong defensive abilities, speed, and crossing skills. Xuân Mạnh represented Việt Nam at various levels, including the national team, making appearances in international competitions like the AFF Championship and World Cup qualifiers.

Nguyễn Thành Chung

#16 Nguyễn Thành Chung, 27, centre-back

Chung is the top choice for South Korean coach Kim Sang-sik in the 2024 ASEAN Cup. His tall physique and aggressive playing style consistently challenge opposing strikers. This is his first regional championship. He also played a key role in the Vietnamese U23 team during the 2018 AFC U23 Championship final in China, where Việt Nam clinched a historic silver medal. Since then, Chung has remained with Hà Nội FC, winning several titles at the club level.

Vũ Văn Thanh

#17 Vũ Văn Thanh, 28, right-back

Thanh emerged as a persistent threat to the Thai defence in the 2024 ASEAN Cup finals, contributing significantly to the Vietnamese team's attacking opportunities. His performance earned him a spot among the top four players in the first leg of the finals. Throughout the tournament, Thanh's play improved, and he started all three final matches. Despite representing various national teams, the ASEAN Cup 2024 championship marks his first title with the Vietnamese squad.

Nguyễn Thanh Bình.

#6 Nguyễn Thanh Bình, 24, centre-back

A product of Viettel’s youth academy, Bình made his professional debut in 2021, in a V.League 1 match against Hải Phòng. He quickly became a regular starter and helped Viettel finish fourth in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Bình made his national team debut in September 2021 in a 1–0 loss to Australia during 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, later facing criticism for a costly error in the 2–3 defeat to China in October 2021. However, in March 2022 he scored his first international goal against Japan, sealing a historic draw and bringing Việt Nam’s qualifying campaign to a close with four points.

Bùi Hoàng Việt Anh

#20 Bùi Hoàng Việt Anh, 25, centre-back

At the ASEAN Cup 2024, Việt Anh started in the group stage matches, demonstrating impressive aerial ability and fearlessness in challenging foreign players for the ball. He excels in distributing the ball effectively from the back line, making him a crucial part of the Golden Star Warriors defence. Việt Anh also contributed to the team’s runners-up finish in the 2022 ASEAN Cup and was named the Vietnamese Young Player of the Year in 2020.

Châu Ngọc Quang

#8 Châu Ngọc Quang, 28, winger/striker

Starting his career at Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, Quang was promoted to the first team in the 2016 V.League season. He had his first match in the V.League on March 4, 2017. In 2018, he was loaned to Viettel club to compete in the second leg of the 2018 V-League 2, thereby helping the capital team get promoted.

Once a member of the Vietnam U23 team in Changzhou, China, in 2018, Quang was only seen mostly on the bench. Struggling to find a starting position in the national team, with all his efforts, Quang was selected to participate in the AFF Cup 2024 and became an important piece in the national squad.

Nguyễn Quang Hải

#19 Nguyễn Quang Hải, 27, midfielder/left-winger

Hailed by many as the 'Vietnamese Messi', Quang Hải needs no introduction when it comes to his footballing prowess. Despite his height, Hải packs a punch with his left foot, especially in set pieces. Graduated from Hà Nội FC's academy, Quang Hải was also gifted with immense vision and creativity, which he put to perfect execution during his eight years at Hà Nội, where he won three V.Leagues and two National Cups. After a spell at Pau FC in France's Ligue 2, where he became the first Vietnamese ever to score in the league, Quang Hải returned to Việt Nam to play for Công An Hà Nội FC and won the league in his first season back home.

A drop in form after his forays in France brought about criticism and doubt in his place at the national team, which hit rock bottom during French coach Philippe Troussier's era at national team head coach. However, Hải proved his critics wrong with game-changing performances in the ASEAN Championship, especially his winning goal against Indonesia in the group stage.

Nguyễn Hoàng Đức

#14 Nguyễn Hoàng Đức, 26, midfielder

Đức is regarded as one of Việt Nam’s finest midfielders. He began playing football in second grade and was recruited by Viettel FC’s academy in Hải Dương after impressing at a youth tournament in 2008.

In 2017, he joined Việt Nam’s U-20 squad for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Đức made his senior national team debut in September 2019, during a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates. As Việt Nam progressed to the third qualifying round, he became a key starter, showcasing both defensive and attacking strengths.

Khuất Văn Khang

#26 Khuất Văn Khang, 21, midfielder/full-back

Khang was a reserve player in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 finals. Known for his technical skills, intelligence, and spatial awareness, he was nominated for the Vietnamese Golden Ball Award 2024. Earlier, during the 2024 AFC U23 Championship, Khang's goal against U23 Malaysia was selected as one of the eight masterpieces in the Best Goal of the Group Stage vote by the Asian Football Confederation, highlighting his emerging talent.

Lê Phạm Thành Long

#11 Lê Phạm Thành Long, 28, defensive midfielder

Thành Long was admitted to the HAGL – Arsenal JMG Academy at the age of 11. Due to his height of 1.65m, which was not as tall as his colleagues, he had to play in the Second and First National Leagues on loan for over four years. After joining Hải Phòng FC in the 2018 season and Thanh Hóa FC in 2020, Thành Long stands out for his abilities to recover the ball, dictate the tempo, and create scoring opportunities. He is considered one of the best midfielders in the V.League. His outstanding performance helped him earn a spot in the national team, before moving to Hà Nội Police FC in the 2023 season.

Nguyễn Hai Long

#24 Nguyễn Hai Long, 24, winger/midfielder

Although he is a new name to the fan who have only recently followed the national football team, for fans who have closely followed the V-League for many years, he is not a strange face. He stared his career in the Viettel youth academy for five year before became a rising star in the Than Quảng Ninh jersey. He is known for his speed, and dribbling skills. At the ASEAN Cup 2024, Hai Long was the one who score two important goals for the national team including the opening goal and the winning goal helped the team win the Mitsubishi Cup.

Phạm Tuấn Hải

#10 Phạm Tuấn Hải, 28, striker

Tuấn Hải has speed, finishing skills and good positioning. Thanks to these strengths, he helped the national team gain a huge advantage in the second leg of the final against Thailand. Tuấn Hải grew up at the Hà Nội Youth Football Training Centre. At the 2016 National U-19 Championship, he won the top scorer title with six goals for Hà Nội U-19. After that, he and Hà Nội U-21 successfully defended the 2016 National U-21 Championship. Joining Hồng Liĩh Hà Tĩnh in 2019, he and his teammates won the First Division Championship and were promoted to play in V.League 2020. In the Hà Nội jersey in 2022, Hải played extremely well, bagging 12 goals, contributing to the domestic double of the capital team.

Bùi Vĩ Hào

#15 Bùi Vĩ Hào, 21, ưinger/striker

Bùi Vĩ Hào's best position is as a winger. He is 1.80m tall with high speed, technical playing style and impressive finishing. He grew up from the An Giang Club training centre and then joined Becamex Bình Duong FC in 2022. In the 2023/24 season, Hào became a first team player when he played 25/26 matches and scored five goals, winning the V.League Best Young Player award.

Doãn Ngọc Tân

#25 Doãn Ngọc Tân, 30, midfielder

Tân stands out for his fiery playing style as a "sweeper" in midfield. He scored a goal against the Philippines in the group stage of the ASEAN Cup 2024 but faced criticism after a foul in the second leg of the finals allowed Thailand to equalise. Following the match, he apologised to the fans and thanked his teammates for covering his mistake. In the lead-up to the finals, Tân suffered an eye injury, which impacted his vision during crucial moments of the game.

Nguyễn Xuân Son (Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes)

#12 Nguyễn Xuân Son, 27, forward

Born in Pirapemas, Brazil, as Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes, Son began his football journey aged 14 at Bahia’s academy before spending five years with Vitoria’s youth ranks. After unsuccessful stints at Vegalta Sendai (Japan) and Naestved BK (Denmark), he moved to Việt Nam in 2020, where he finally made his breakthrough. In the 2023/24 V.League 1 season, he set a record with 31 goals.

In August 2024, having resided in Việt Nam for five years, Son applied for Vietnamese citizenship. On September 20, he officially became a Vietnamese national under the name Nguyễn Xuân Son, and FIFA approved him to join the 2024 ASEAN Championship. He scored seven goals in five matches, propelling Việt Nam to the final, before suffering a serious injury in the final’s second leg in Bangkok.

Nguyễn Tiến Linh

#22 Nguyễn Tiến Linh, 27, forward

Regarded as one of the best Vietnamese strikers of his generation, Linh was one of the nominees of the 2021 Best Footballer in Asia award, after a stellar 2022 World Cup qualifiers campaign where scored seven goals, a national record.

After a struggling start to the year when he endured a goal drought in the national team, the 'Vietnamese Raheem Sterling' returned to form just in time for the 2024 ASEAN Championship, where he scored four goals, just three less than his teammate and partner up front, Son.

Đỗ Duy Mạnh

#2 Đỗ Duy Mạnh, 28, centre-back (captain)

As a defender, Duy Mạnh was not a standout player in the 1995-1997 generation, but was one of the first young players to make an impact early and cement his place at the V.League, when he won the 2015 V.League 1's young player of the season in his rookie year at Hà Nội FC.

Once known for his angry temperament, the 2024 ASEAN Championship gave rise to a more mature and collected version of Duy Mạnh. The new captain of the Việt Nam national football team is still a man who will fight for his team, but will seek to do it in a more clever way, and deter his teammates from straying into fracas with the referee.

Nguyễn Văn Toàn

#9 Nguyễn Văn Toàn, 29, striker/winger

During the group stage of the ASEAN Cup 2024, Toàn served as a strategic reserve, often entering the match in the final 30 minutes. He scored a goal against Laos but was sidelined with a knee ligament injury afterward. Toàn joined HAGL – Arsenal JMG Academy in 2007 and made his first-team debut in January 2015. He earned his senior international debut for Việt Nam in 2016 at age 20 and has since accrued over 64 caps.

Đinh Thanh Bình

#18 Đinh Thanh Bình, 26, striker/winger

Bình possesses excellent ball control and flexibility, enabling him to handle challenging passes during the ASEAN Cup 2024. He developed at the HAGL - JMG Academy and is regarded as a promising talent in Vietnamese football. Bình was part of the U20 Vietnamese team that competed in the FIFA U20 World Cup 2017, showcasing his potential on an international stage and contributing to the future success of Vietnamese football.

Coach Kim Sang Sik.

Coach Kim Sang Sik, 48, from South Korea

South Korean coach Kim's story was somewhat similar to his former coach and mentor, Coach Park Hang Seo, also from South Korea. Kim won the K-League in 2021 with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC before he was dismissed just two years later after a poor league start. Saddened by the reactions from fans, Kim took a one-year break before returning to work as head coach of Việt Nam national squad.

Although initially criticised by pundits for his way of rotating players, Kim's pragmatic approach was soon proven right, as Việt Nam kept their fitness and performance with fewer injuries and suspensions than their opponents, and steadily claimed their third ASEAN Championship, proving once again the success of the 'Vietnamese team with Korean coach' formula. VNS