Beyond its prestige as an individual honor, the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards, organized by Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper has evolved into a powerful reflection of Vietnamese football’s journey, tracing its modest origins to the rise of a confident new generation on the global stage.
The year 2025 carries special significance for Vietnamese football, marked by remarkable achievements across tournaments. The U23 Vietnam team won the Southeast Asian Championship and secured a place in the Asian finals, while the U22 squad captured a dramatic gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand. In the V-League, emerging young players are gradually taking over from their predecessors, injecting fresh energy and ambition into the sport.
This year’s nominees of the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards include familiar names such as Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, and Tien Linh who are players who have long carried fans’ hopes. But behind them stands a vibrant generation born after 2000 including Dinh Bac, Thanh Nhan, Hieu Minh, Thai Son, Van Thuan, and Viktor Le who dared to shine on the SEA Games stage.
This year's Vietnam Golden Ball Awards is therefore not just about honoring one outstanding player. It is a portrait of a footballing nation in transformation. The award recognizes not only skill and goals but also the determination that drives Vietnamese players to transcend physical limits, difficult conditions, and lingering doubts.
Fans may debate who deserves the title most, but the real triumph lies in the abundance of choices. When a nation’s football scene becomes rich and competitive, it is truly hard for fans to select players for the prestigious award. In the award’s early years, a handful of stars dominated. Today, nearly every club has a name worthy of mention.
Over the past three decades, the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards has celebrated not only victories but also moments of resilience from Le Huynh Duc and Hong Son to Cong Vinh and Quang Hai. Each name marks an era, a chapter in the nation’s football story, carrying with it the faith of millions of devoted fans.
When the awards night arrives, it won’t just honor the winner. It will celebrate all of Vietnamese football from amateur players and reporters to those who have filled stadiums year after year. After all, the Golden Ball is not a destination, it’s a reminder that the journey of Vietnamese football continues, driven by hearts that never stop beating for the red flag and golden star.
