Vietnam football federation nominated for 4th straight AFC Diamond award

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced the nominees for its 30th annual awards ceremony on Friday.

The event is scheduled to take place on November 19 at the Aksra Theatre King Power in Bangkok, marking the Thai capital’s second time hosting the ceremony after 2017.

The VFF has been shortlisted in the Diamond category alongside the Chinese Football Association and the Football Association of Thailand. 

Notably, the same three associations were nominated for the award in the previous two editions, highlighting Vietnam’s continued presence among the AFC’s recognized member associations.

The Member Association of the Year award is divided into four categories: Platinum, Diamond, Gold and Ruby.

Japan, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are the nominees in the top-tier Platinum category. Hong Kong, India and Malaysia are shortlisted in the Gold category, while Bangladesh, Guam and Laos are nominated in the Ruby category.

Although six associations feature in the Platinum and Diamond categories, the shortlist should not be viewed as a ranking of Asia’s six strongest national teams.

Associations compete within their respective categories, and the awards recognize their management, organization and development of football across multiple areas.

According to the AFC’s explanation for the 2025 awards, the Diamond category recognizes associations with extensive operations, professional competition systems, developed youth training and grassroots football networks, and effective implementation of AFC and FIFA support programs.

As a result, the men’s national team’s performance represents only one part of the broader assessment of an association’s work.

Vietnam has been nominated in the Diamond category several times. At the AFC Annual Awards Doha 2022, held in Qatar on October 31, 2023, the VFF competed against Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan. Lebanon ultimately won the award, while Uzbekistan took the Platinum title.

At the AFC Annual Awards Seoul 2023, held in South Korea on October 29, 2024, the VFF was again nominated in the Diamond category alongside China and Thailand. Thailand won the award, while Japan received the Platinum title.

At the same ceremony, the VFF also received the AFC president’s recognition award for grassroots football in the Bronze category, a separate award.

At the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, China and Thailand once again competed for the Diamond title. The Football Association of Thailand successfully defended its award, securing consecutive victories.

The VFF was also nominated for the Bronze category of the AFC president’s recognition award for grassroots football, but Bangladesh won the honor.

With this year’s nomination, Vietnam has now been shortlisted in the Diamond category for four consecutive editions. In the editions held under the current four-tier system, the VFF has not been nominated in the Platinum category or won the Diamond award.

Before the AFC introduced the current four-tier system, Vietnamese football achieved a notable milestone by winning the Member Association of the Year award in the Developing category in 2017.

At the time, the AFC divided the award into three categories: Inspiring, Developing and Aspiring. Iran won the Inspiring category, while Afghanistan received the Aspiring award.