This afternoon (October 15), striker Rafaelson officially received his Vietnamese citizenship certificate at the Department of Justice in Nam Dinh Province. On September 20, Rafaelson was recognized as a Vietnamese citizen and took the name Nguyen Xuan Son. He will compete in the 2024/2025 season for Nam Dinh FC as a naturalized player.
After nearly a month, Rafaelson formally received his citizenship certificate today, marking a significant moment in his career and life in Vietnam. Upon receiving the certificate, the striker shared his emotions: “My family and I are living in Vietnam. This country is now my second home. I would like to thank General Secretary, President To Lam, the leaders of the ministries and agencies of Vietnam, Nam Dinh Province, and Nam Dinh FC for helping make my dream come true. I promise to fully comply with Vietnamese law and dedicate myself to contributing to Vietnamese football.”
Born in 1997 in Brazil, Rafaelson began his football journey in Vietnam in 2020. Having met all the necessary requirements, Rafaelson was supported by Nam Dinh FC in completing the process of naturalization before the start of the 2024/2025 season.
Rafaelson has been the top scorer of the V-League for the past two seasons. However, this year, the 26-year-old striker has yet to score in Vietnam’s top football league, contributing to Nam Dinh FC’s slow start to the season.
Despite his naturalization, Rafaelson was not called up to the Vietnamese national team by coach Kim Sang Sik for the October training camp. However, with his official Vietnamese citizenship now in hand, the 1997-born striker is expected to work even harder in hopes of earning a spot on the national team under the leadership of the South Korean coach.
Nam Dinh FC will face Ha Tinh at home on October 19 in the fourth round of the 2024/2025 V-League. This match could provide Rafaelson, now known as Nguyen Xuan Son, with the perfect opportunity to score his first goal of the season for Nam Dinh FC.
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