Football 

Children take part in the AFC 2025 Grassroots Football Festival on May 16 at Tự Do Stadium in Huế. The VFF is recognised as one of Asia's leading federations in  grassroots football development.  Photo huengaynay.vn

HÀ NỘI  The Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF) is scoring big off the pitch with two nominations at the upcoming AFC Awards Riyadh 2025, highlighting its expanding influence in Asian football.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced the highly anticipated list of nominees for its 29th annual gala, scheduled for October 16 at the King Fahad Cultural Centre in Saudi Arabia — the first time the Kingdom hosts this prestigious event.

Across 20 award categories, Asia’s finest will be celebrated, including standout players such as Arif Aiman Hanapi, Akram Afif and Salem Al Dawsari for the AFC Player of the Year, and Holly McNamara, Wang Shuang and Hana Takahashi for the Women’s Player of the Year.

UEFA Champions League winners Lee Kang-in and Stephanie Catley lead the nominees for AFC Asian International Player of the Year, while the extraordinary achievements of North Korea’s women’s U17 and U20 teams are also recognised. Other awards include Futsal Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Youth Player of the Year, and a Referees Special Award.

Among the eight federation and association titles up for grabs, the VFF is nominated twice. It faces competition from the Chinese Football Association and the Football Association of Thailand for the AFC Member Association of the Year (Diamond class).

The VFF also vies for the AFC President's Recognition Award for Grassroots Football (Bronze class) alongside Bangladesh Football Federation and Northern Mariana Islands Football Association.

The VFF described these nominations as meaningful endorsements of its comprehensive efforts to advance professional football and promote grassroots participation nationwide. Recent years have seen Vietnamese football reach new heights at both senior and youth levels, supported by sustainable development programmes aimed at expanding access and nurturing future talent.

According to the VFF, this recognition not only confirms Vietnamese football’s rising prestige on the Asian stage but also fuels the federation’s drive towards further development, integration and professionalisation.  VNS