Football 

Nguyễn Hoàng Nam Mi is the first female Vietnamese overseas player called to the national team. Photo courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — Footballer Nguyễn Hoàng Nam Mi has made history, becoming the first overseas Vietnamese female player to be called up for the national team.

Head coach Mai Đức Chung announced his list of 30 players for training starting from May 28 in Hà Nội and Mi is one of the midfielders.

The team is gearing up for the Asian Cup 2026 qualification.

The 22-year-old was born and grew up in Canada, but holds a Vietnamese passport; therefore, she is eligible to play for Việt Nam.

Coach Chung has on several occasions talked about how his squad would be much stronger if it could have both naturalised and Vietnamese oversea players.

Mi is under contract with HCM City and has already played a positive role, helping the club make a big impact, reaching the AFC Women's Champions League's semi-final for the first time.

Evaluating the player, coach Chung, said like many others living and training abroad, Mi had good physique, better playing skills and a more modern way of thinking about football.

"I think Mi has great potential thanks to her experience in the Canadian school football environment, which has been the world's leading women's footballing nation in recent years."

Mi and teammates will have three friendly matches with local clubs during their training, before travelling to Japan for an intensive camp June 8-18. The players will then be whittled down to a shortlist of 26. 

Việt Nam is the host of Group E, which includes Guam, Maldives and the UAE, in the Asian Cup 2026 qualification, with matches being held from June 29 to July 5 in the Việt Trì Stadium in Phú Thọ Province. VNS