Vietnam’s top-tier football league beats Ronaldo’s Saudi Pro League in key metric

Statistics indicate that V.League 1 ranks fourth among eight Asian domestic leagues surveyed for average ball-in-play time per match in Asia’s leading domestic leagues in 2025.

The Vietnamese top-flight league recorded an average of 52.12 minutes of actual playing time per match.

It ranks ahead of the domestic leagues in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Singapore.

Ball-in-play time measures the period during which the ball is actively in play during a match.

It excludes stoppages caused by fouls, injuries, substitutions, throw-ins, goal kicks, corners before the ball is put back into play, goal celebrations and VAR reviews.

V.League 1 experienced relatively little dead time compared with several other Asian competitions, including the Saudi Pro League, home to Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, average ball-in-play time alone does not necessarily reflect the overall quality of a football league.

Fewer interruptions can contribute to a more engaging viewing experience, allowing spectators to enjoy more continuous action and potentially improving the overall flow of matches.

South Korea’s K League 1 leads the rankings with an average of 56.17 minutes per match, followed by the Chinese Super League at 54.08 minutes and Japan’s J1 League at 53.01 minutes.

The survey offers a broader perspective on playing conditions across Asian football.

Average ball-in-play time across the surveyed competitions remains well below the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) target of 60 minutes per match.