Nguyễn Xuân Son and Đỗ Hoàng Hên's partnership mirrors Brazil's famous Ronaldo-Rivaldo partnership, as seen during their match against Malaysia last Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

Anh Đức

Long ago, there was a player regarded as one of football’s finest centre-forwards, a pioneer who arguably became the modern game’s first global superstar and icon, with a knack for scoring goals that shattered record after record.

His first name was Ronaldo. No, not Cristiano Ronaldo, but 'O Fenomeno' Ronaldo Nazario de Lima, the Brazilian great — now echoed in Việt Nam by naturalised striker Nguyễn Xuân Son.

He was later dubbed ‘Fat Ronaldo’ by some fans to distinguish him from his Portuguese namesake, amid jibes about his weight in the latter stages of his career.

Comparisons are rarely straightforward, but Việt Nam’s national team may have found a phenomenon of its own in Nguyễn Xuân Son, who has sent fans into a frenzy since his debut.

The arc of their careers shows intriguing parallels. Son, formerly known as Rafaelson, rose to prominence in Việt Nam after a prolific season in which he scored 31 goals in 24 matches, helping Nam Định FC win the V.League title after a 39-year wait. Similarly, Ronaldo’s first full season in European football yielded an impressive 30 goals in 34 matches.

For both, however, true breakthroughs came on the international stage.

Ronaldo announced himself at the 1997 Copa América, where he was named player of the tournament. By the time he lifted the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring twice in the final, he had amassed 62 goals in 98 appearances for Brazil, alongside two Ballon d’Or awards and three FIFA World Player of the Year titles.

Son’s international arrival was no less explosive in context. On his debut against Myanmar in the 2024 ASEAN Championship, he scored twice and provided two assists in a 5-0 victory. He went on to score in both semi-final legs against Singapore and added two more in the first leg of the final against Thailand.

His campaign, however, was cut short by fractures to his fibula and tibia in the second leg, ending a remarkable run of seven goals in five matches and beginning a recovery expected to last nearly a year.

Ronaldo’s legacy was forged on football’s grandest stage. Son’s impact, while on a different scale, is similarly transformative within his own arena. Ronaldo redefined what a Brazilian striker could achieve in Europe. Son is reshaping expectations of what Vietnamese football can aspire to.

Both players have also thrived alongside intuitive creative partners. For Ronaldo, that role was filled by Rivaldo, whose vision and technique complemented Ronaldo’s clinical finishing. Together with Ronaldinho, they formed the attacking trio that led Brazil to World Cup glory.

For Son, that partner is Đỗ Hoàng Hên, another Vietnamese naturalized player formerly known as Hendrio Araújo. The comparison in roles is striking. Like Rivaldo, Hên operates as a creative force, capable of unlocking defences and supplying decisive passes.

He has said he can anticipate Son’s movements simply by watching his runs. Their partnership at Thép Xanh Nam Định produced 41 goals in the 2023-24 season and has carried into the national side, most notably in Việt Nam’s 3-1 win over Malaysia last week.

Any comparison between a two-time World Cup winner and a player still building his legacy in Southeast Asia must be made with caution. Yet what links them is the effect they have on those watching.

Ronaldo inspired belief among millions of Brazilians each time he took the field. Son is beginning to instil that same sense of possibility among Vietnamese supporters.

Việt Nam may well have found its own phenomenon. And in Son and Hên, the Golden Star Warriors possess a partnership that, at its best, could take the national team further than ever before. — VNS