Hanoi, 20 May 2026 – Vietnam Women’s National Football Championship is entering a new era as a revamped competition format and stricter club licensing standards take effect, promising to elevate the sport’s professional standing across the country.
The draw for the 2026 season fixture schedule was held on May 20, setting the stage for what organizers expect to be the most competitive edition of the tournament to date.
Title contention is expected to center on four clubs: reigning champions Ho Chi Minh City, runners-up Hanoi, Than Khoang San Viet Nam, and Thai Nguyen T&T — all of whom have consistently fielded national team players in recent years. They are joined by three additional sides: Hanoi 2, Ho Chi Minh City 2, and Ha Nam.
The most significant structural change this season is the shift to a home-and-away round-robin format, mirroring the setup long used in men’s football. Previously, matches were played in centralized venues across separate rounds. The new arrangement is designed to deepen clubs’ ties with local supporters and encourage investment in training and match-day infrastructure.
2026 also marks a landmark year for club governance, as the Vietnam Football Federation rolls out a pilot club licensing program for the women’s top flight. Conducted through an online system, the mandatory process is intended to drive greater professionalism, transparency, and long-term sustainability in women’s football.
The first leg runs from June 20 to July 19, with the return leg scheduled from July 23 to August 21. Across 42 matches in total, games will be hosted in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh, Thai Nguyen, and Ho Chi Minh City. The season champion will earn Vietnam’s berth at the 2027–28 AFC Women’s Champions League.
Opening-round fixtures will see Ho Chi Minh City 1 face Ho Chi Minh City 2, Hanoi 2 take on Hanoi 1, and Thai Nguyen T&T host Ha Nam on home soil.
For the first time, clubs are permitted to register one foreign player each — a move expected to sharpen competition across the board. The impact of overseas talent has already been evident at continental level, where Ho Chi Minh City Women reached the semifinals of the 2025–26 AFC Women’s Champions League 2 and the quarterfinals the following season, aided by foreign and overseas Vietnamese players with strong physical and technical profiles. The same one-foreign-player rule applies to the ongoing 2026 National Cup, currently being held in Thai Nguyen.
Ho Chi Minh City’s Joelma Gabriel has already made history, becoming the first foreign player to score in an official professional women’s football match in Vietnam. Thai Nguyen T&T, meanwhile, have brought in New Zealand’s Rebecca Lake as they set their sights on the title.
Ho Chi Minh City 1 enter the season as defending champions and the most decorated club in the competition’s history, with 14 titles to their name — including seven consecutive championships from 2019 to the present.
VSN/RPT
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