Trần Thị Thuỳ Trang and Nguyễn Tiến Linh, winners of the 2024 Women's and Men's Vietnamese Golden Ball. — Photo tuoitre.vn

Anh Đức

​In the realm of sports, perseverance often distinguishes fleeting talent from enduring greatness. Vietnamese football recently celebrated two athletes, Nguyễn Tiến Linh and Trần Thị Thùy Trang, whose journeys epitomise resilience and determination.​

Nguyễn Tiến Linh's 2024 season began under a cloud. Persistent injuries, including a torn calf muscle and groin strain, sidelined him from key tournaments like the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. He made a quick return to the squad for the World Cup qualifiers, but his dip in form had critics questioning his future, with Việt Nam eliminated early from the qualifying tournament.

However, Tiến Linh's response was nothing short of inspirational. He committed to an intensive rehabilitation programme, focusing on regaining peak physical condition and refining his skills. His dedication bore fruit as he returned to form, becoming a pivotal player for both his club, Becamex Bình Dương, and the national team.

He led the scoring charts in the 2025 V.League season with ten goals and was instrumental in Vietnam's ASEAN Cup 2024 campaign, netting four goals and earning a spot in the tournament's Best XI.

His remarkable comeback culminated in winning the Vietnamese Golden Ball 2024, a testament to his unwavering commitment.

Equally inspiring is the story of Trần Thị Thùy Trang. Born in 1988, Trang embarked on her football journey later than most, initially making her mark in futsal. In 2014, she transitioned to 11-a-side football, joining Hồ Chí Minh City I WFC.

Her late start meant she had to overcome significant challenges, including limited support and resources. Family tragedies, such as the loss of her brother, who was an inspiration for her, during the early days of her career, piled the pressure on the 1.55-metre-tall woman.

But that did not deter Trang's passion for the game, and over the years, she became an integral part of both her club and the national team, and she won multiple accolades for both club and country, with four SEA Games medals, one AFF Women's Championship and even an AFF Women's Futsal Championship in 2024.

Trang's experience and energy played a crucial role in Việt Nam's historic qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Her perseverance paid off in 2024 when, at 37, she won her first Vietnamese Women's Golden Ball, a victory that many deemed deserving and emotional.

Tiến Linh is known on social media as a meme, where he mistyped the phrase 'never give up' to 'never stop giving up'. The phrase was the caption of a picture where Linh is recuperating after his injury in early 2024. Indeed, Linh did not stop trying, did not give up, and rewrote his 2024 to a resounding end.

Thuỳ Trang, on the other hand, was at a centre of a fracas post-Women's World Cup, where she did not play any minutes in perhaps a once-in-a-career tournament. She did not relent and sought out another chance in another field of play: futsal. Now in 2025, the opportunity is even more closer, as Việt Nam seek qualification to the first ever Women's Futsal World Cup, through the 2025 AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup happening in May.

The narratives of Tiến Linh and Thùy Trang converge on a fundamental truth: success in sports, as in life, is often a product of resilience. Their journeys inspire not only athletes but anyone striving to overcome obstacles, reinforcing the belief that in sports, as in life, there's no giving up. VNS