Hanoi, 17 June 2025 – At a press meeting on June 17 in Hanoi, Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) President Tran Quoc Tuan reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to youth development, emphasizing that Vietnamese football will not resort to mass naturalization of foreign players to boost national team performance.
The gathering, held in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Vietnam revolutionary journalism day (June 21), was attended by VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan, Vice President Tran Anh Tu, General Secretary Nguyen Van Phu, and numerous sports journalists from the northern region.
President Tuan opened the meeting by expressing his gratitude for the continued support and contributions from the media towards the development of Vietnamese football. He also shared VFF’s strategic plans to strengthen the long-term foundation of all national teams.
“We anticipated the challenges when neighboring countries began naturalizing players more aggressively. While this is not a new trend, each country must proceed carefully, respecting cultural context and long-term impacts,” Tuan stated. “Naturalizing players en masse might bring short-term strength to a national team. However, it could weaken domestic leagues and youth development, ultimately affecting the national team’s identity.”
He added, “Developing football requires patience. The VFF remains committed to strengthening our foundation from within. We will thoughtfully integrate necessary external elements while ensuring a balanced development of national teams and professional clubs. Vietnamese football must grow sustainably while preserving its identity.”
President Tuan reiterated that investment in youth football is key to securing the future of the sport in Vietnam. He outlined that in the remaining months of 2025, both male and female youth teams will have opportunities to train abroad, including in Europe, China, and Japan. These training camps aim to prepare the teams for major upcoming tournaments at the end of 2025 and into 2026.
“Only by competing against high-quality international opponents can our players truly improve,” Tuan affirmed, highlighting the importance of international exposure in player development.
The VFF’s stance reflects a strategic and culturally rooted approach to building competitive national teams, focusing on sustainability, internal development, and maintaining the Vietnamese football identity, rather than pursuing short-term gains through widespread player naturalization.
Dang Long
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