Vietnam’s ASEAN Cup 2026 title built on more than naturalized talent

Not dependent on naturalized foreign-born players

The trio, including Nguyen Xuan Son, Do Hoang Hen, and Nguyen Tai Loc, gave head coach Kim Sang Sik greater flexibility in both personnel and tactics, yet Vietnam’s championship run showed that the team was not overly dependent on them.

Tai Loc started only twice, against Indonesia in the group stage and Malaysia in the first leg of the semifinals, while appearing as a substitute in five other matches.

Hoang Hen featured seven times, including five starts.

He scored twice in Vietnam’s 7-0 opening win over Timor-Leste and assisted Quang Hai in the 2-0 first-leg final victory over Thailand.

His contribution, however, was matched by homegrown winger Hai Long, who scored twice despite starting only three of Vietnam’s eight matches.

Both goals came in important away fixtures against Indonesia and Thailand.

Vietnam’s 2-0 win at Rajamangala Stadium in the first leg of the final against Thailand was also built on strong performances from Hoang Duc, Dinh Bac, Quang Hai, and Hai Long.

Excellent performances of homegrown players

Vietnam had six of the 11 players named in Sofascore’s ASEAN Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament.

Notably, Dinh Bac received a rating of 7.70, the highest in the lineup and above Xuan Son’s 7.25.

The rating reflected Dinh Bac’s outstanding performances in his first ASEAN Cup campaign.

The 22-year-old started all eight matches, scored five goals, provided three assists, and recorded 10 key passes.

Those figures earned Dinh Bac the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award, while he shared the Golden Boot with Xuan Son.

Unlike at the 2024 ASEAN Cup, when Xuan Son scored seven goals and won both the Golden Boot and MVP awards, the naturalized striker played a more modest role in 2026, particularly compared with Dinh Bac.

Coach Kim Sang Sik started him in only five matches, and the striker failed to score in either leg of the final against Thailand.

That did not diminish his value to the squad, but it highlighted how much Vietnam’s attacking options had expanded, with players such as Dinh Bac and Hai Long taking on greater responsibility.

Vietnam’s success was also underpinned by a midfield and defense made up without naturalized players.

The back line conceded only three goals throughout the tournament, making it one of the strongest foundations of the title-winning campaign.

Goalkeeper Le Giang Patrik, who was named the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper, is of Vietnamese-Slovak descent rather than a naturalized player with no family ties to Vietnam.

His father is Vietnamese, and his paternal family lives in Hanoi.

Vietnam therefore benefited from naturalized talent at the 2026 ASEAN Cup, but the title run also reflected the depth and development of its homegrown core rather than excessive reliance on imported strength.