2025 marked a defining year for Vietnamese sport, showcasing sustained regional dominance, heading for a wave of breakthrough performances on the international stage. Việt Nam News looks back at the moments that shaped a landmark year.

The Vietnamese national team and fans celebrate winning the ASEAN Cup. — VNA/VNS Photo

1. Việt Nam win ASEAN Cup

On January 5, at Rajamangala Stadium, the Vietnamese national team triumphed over Thailand 5-3 on aggregate across two gripping legs to claim the ASEAN Cup. When captain Đỗ Duy Mạnh raised the Southeast Asian championship trophy aloft, it brought an end to a title drought of more than five years and set the tone for what would become a landmark year for Vietnamese football.

The U22 Việt Nam team celebrate winning SEA Games gold medal. — Photo kenh14.vn

2. Việt Nam win SEA Games gold medal

Việt Nam made an incredible comeback to beat hosts Thailand 3-2 to claim the gold medal of the 33rd SEA Games. Earlier, they set the tone in the Games, topping their group before dispatching the Philippines 2-0 in the semi-finals.

That triumph crowned a remarkable year for Vietnamese football, adding to earlier successes in the ASEAN Cup and the ASEAN U23 Championship.

Việt Nam women's futsal team. — Photo courtesy of the VFF

3. Việt Nam women's futsal team with historic turning point at SEA Games

After years in the shadow of Thailand, the Vietnamese women’s futsal team finally stepped into the limelight, producing a stunning upset to claim their first-ever SEA Games gold medal at the 33rd edition. The breakthrough was not only a reward for their on-court excellence, but also a powerful statement that women’s indoor football in Việt Nam has entered a new phase, ripe for confidence, ambition and professional investment.

4. Nguyễn Hoàng Đức wins third Golden Ball

Midfielder Nguyễn Hoàng Đức etched his name deeper into Vietnamese football history when he was honoured for a third time at the 2025 Vietnamese Golden Ball Gala. Week after week, for club and country, his consistency and control have marked him out as the most influential figure in the side and the soul of Ninh Bình FC and the national team’s playing identity.

Three sisters won the gold medal together at the 33rd SEA Games. — Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

5. Three sisters win three SEA Games gold medals

At the 33rd SEA Games, one image captured the spirit of the year like no other: three sisters from Huế, Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Hạnh, Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Trang and Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Linh, climbing to the top step of the podium, each wearing a wrestling gold medal from a different weight category.

Born into a martial arts family, their shared triumph was the product of years of sacrifice at home and relentless effort on the mat.

6. AFF U23 Championship record

Vieenamese players and coaches celebrate their victory. — Photos courtesy of VFF

Việt Nam had the region tipping its hat in July after lifting the 2025 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U23 Championship.

On a charged night at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Việt Nam edged hosts Indonesia 1–0 in the final to complete an unprecedented hat-trick of U23 titles.

The triumph drew praise well beyond Southeast Asia. World football’s governing body FIFA hailed the youngsters while the Asian Football Confederation also congratulated the team with warm acclaim.

7. Pickleball fever

Lý Hoàng Nam, a renowned tennis player switched to play pickleball. Photo laodong.vn

Pickleball exploded across Việt Nam in 2025, turning a once little-known import into the country’s fastest-growing sporting craze. Introduced only a few years ago, the hybrid of tennis, table tennis and badminton has enjoyed a surge unlike anything seen in Vietnamese sport, winning over players with its simple rules and fast-paced appeal.

The boom has already produced results on the international stage, with Vietnamese players claiming titles on circuits such as the PPA Tour Asia, signalling that the country’s pickleball rise is only just beginning.

8. Best Vietnamese SEA Games athlete

Trịnh Thu Vinh is best decorated athlete of Việt Nam at the 33rd SEA Games. Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Sports Team

Trịnh Thu Vinh emerged as Việt Nam’s standout athlete at the 33rd SEA Games, dominating the shooting range in Bangkok with a glittering haul of four gold medals and one silver.

She swept the women’s individual and team events in the 10m air pistol and 25m pistol, setting new Games records in her first three finals with ice-cool precision.

Those commanding performances etched Vinh’s name into history, crowning her the most successful Vietnamese shooter the SEA Games has ever seen.

9. Legendary runner

Three-time 33rd SEA Games champion Nguyễn Thị Oanh. Photo coutersy of Việt Nam Sports Games

Việt Nam’s Golden Girl Nguyễn Thị Oanh kept her crown firmly in place at a fifth consecutive SEA Games, once again owning the track with three gold medals in the women’s 5,000m, 10,000m and 3,000m steeplechase.

The treble took her career SEA Games tally to a remarkable 15 titles, lifting her into an elite club as one of the competition’s three greatest track-and-field athletes, alongside Myanmar’s Jennifer Lin Tay and the Philippines’ Elma Muros.

10. Volleyball break through

Việt Nam know how to beat Thailand in volleyball. VNA/VNS Photo

The Việt Nam women’s volleyball team underlined their rapid rise in 2025 by toppling arch-rivals Thailand for the first time in an international tournament.

In a pulsating SEA V-League 2025 final, Việt Nam edged the world No 19 side 3–2 in a five-set thriller, ending a decades-long drought against their most formidable regional foe and signalling a new era of belief for the team. VNS