Accompanying the rise of Vietnamese Football
The achievements of 2025 highlighted the growing maturity of Vietnamese football. The national team was crowned champions of the ASEAN Cup 2024 in Thailand, while the U23 team secured the Southeast Asian title and advanced deep into continental competition. The U22 side claimed the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, capping off a year of notable success.
Vietnamese women’s national team, along with both men’s and women’s futsal teams, also qualified for the final rounds of Asian tournaments, with futsal continuing to nurture its ambition of returning to the World Cup stage.
Spanning 12 award categories from senior honors to youth and futsal awards, this year’s Vietnam Golden Ball paints a vivid portrait of a football landscape in motion. The "Best Young Male and Female Player" titles serve not only as encouragement but also as a reflection of long-term vision. Former recipients such as Cong Vinh, Thanh Luong and Thanh Nha have gone on to become pillars of the national team, underscoring continuity in Vietnam’s football development strategy.
The V-League also deserves special mention, as it continues to witness fierce and evenly matched competition.
The emergence of outstanding foreign players has not overshadowed domestic talents; on the contrary, it has inspired Vietnamese players to elevate their performance and professionalism.
The “Best Foreign Player” title is a fair recognition of these contributions, underscoring the professionalism and international integration of Vietnamese football. At the same time, it opens opportunities for foreign players who aspire to commit long-term, pursue naturalization, and ultimately represent Vietnam at the national level.
Creating and spreading positive values
Turning 30, the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards enter a new chapter defined by social responsibility and the spread of positive values. Beyond honoring professional excellence, the awards now aim to inspire dedication and extend football’s positive influence from the pitch into the wider community.
Over the past three decades, the awards have become a true “historical witness,” faithfully documenting Vietnamese football’s transformation from an amateur pursuit to a professional sport, and from a domestic game to a growing presence on the continental stage.
The 2025 season marked a major turning point, as the Organizing Committee refined the voting process while simultaneously launching the long-term charity initiative “Ao Am Den Truong” (Warm Coats for Schoolchildren), officially inaugurated on the Gala awards night.
This initiative reflects the awards’ strong social commitment, focusing on children in remote and disadvantaged areas. Each annual award recipient will serve as an ambassador, participating in fundraising and donation activities to help spread the humanitarian spirit of football far and wide.
The "Golden Ball" title therefore represents not only talent and ambition, but also compassion and a strong sense of responsibility. Elevating social contribution as a core value helps shape the image of the modern footballer, one who combines professional excellence with responsibility toward the community.
The widespread support from major corporations, enterprises, and leading brands further illustrates football’s strong social connection and influence.
Journalist Nguyen Khac Van, Acting Editor-in-Chief of Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper and Head of the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards Organizing Committee, emphasized that this year’s event marks the 30th anniversary of a prestigious honor, a noble symbol every footballer aspires to achieve. He expressed confidence that the awards will continue to innovate, becoming increasingly modern and professional, while expanding their influence across the region.
At the same time, the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards will continue to promote the spirit of fair play, sportsmanship, and the aspiration to reach new heights in Vietnamese sport in general and Vietnamese football in particular.
