Saudi Arabia, 25 January 2026 – AFC has officially delivered the Top Scorer trophy of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 to Nguyen Dinh Bac via VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan, marking a prestigious recognition for the young forward’s outstanding tournament in Jeddah.
Because U23 Vietnam returned home immediately after the third-place match on January 24, the team only received bronze medals on-site, while individual awards were finalized after the final. Once confirmed, AFC handed the Top Scorer trophy to Tran Quoc Tuan on January 25, who will bring it back to Vietnam for Dinh Bac.
Under AFC regulations, the award is decided by goals, then assists, and finally minutes played. Four players finished with four goals, but only Dinh Bac and Ryunosuke Sato recorded two assists. Dinh Bac ultimately claimed the title by playing fewer minutes (409 compared to Sato’s 451).
The achievement is even more remarkable given that the 2004-born striker started only two matches due to injury management. His goals came from a penalty against U23 Jordan, a solo effort versus U23 Saudi Arabia, a crucial header against U23 UAE, and a brilliant free kick against U23 South Korea.
With six goal contributions (four goals, two assists), Dinh Bac broke the long-standing Vietnamese record previously held by Nguyen Quang Hai and became the first Southeast Asian player to win the U23 Asian Cup Top Scorer award.
Although he impressed with a complete attacking profile, Dinh Bac also faced disappointment after receiving a red card in the bronze-medal match, resulting in a two-match suspension.
On January 25, he also officially received the Vietnam Silver Ball 2025 and Young Player of the Year 2025 awards, sharing a modest message: “A small achievement. I will keep working harder.”
Adding to the pride, VFF received a congratulatory letter from AFC President Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who praised U23 Vietnam’s performance as evidence of strong development strategy and investment. He also commended coach Kim Sang Sik and the entire squad, expressing confidence that this historic bronze medal will inspire Vietnamese football toward greater achievements.
Anh Minh
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