Watching how Curacao or Cabo Verde made history on North American soil, many Vietnamese fans feel a mix of familiarity and regret. These teams from small island nations seem to embody many qualities that Vietnamese football once possessed. This raises a question: if Curacao or Cabo Verde can appear at the World Cup and leave their own mark, how far is Vietnamese football from the biggest stage on the planet?

He's on the board~ Yang Hansen scored his first points for the national team after a year-long absence, catching a pass from Liao Sanning for an alley-oop two-handed dunk. Perhaps due to a long time away from international play and a lack of chemistry with teammates, Yang faced heavy defensive attention in the first half and struggled offensively, shooting 1-for-4 for 2 points and 3 rebounds, with a plus-minus of +4, helping China take a 38-34 lead over the Netherlands.

On the evening of June 23, Beijing time, FIFA announced the latest referee assignments for the World Cup group stage. Chinese referee Ma Ning, aged 47, will act as the fourth official for the crucial third-round clash between France and Norway. This will be Ma Ning's third officiating duty in the current tournament. Additionally, Zhou Fei has been designated as the reserve assistant referee for this match. The main referee will be Premier League star official Michael Oliver.

World Cup tournaments are not only the greatest sporting events on the planet, but have long become a massive real-life "technology laboratory." It is where the world's most advanced sports technologies are launched and tested.

Ahead of the decisive match against Uzbekistan at 00:00 on June 24 (Vietnam time), the question of striker Cristiano Ronaldo's role is causing the Portuguese national team's coaching staff to carefully weigh whether to start him or use him from the bench.

Phan Tuan Tai returns to the Vietnam national team as a left wingback, offering a key tactical solution for coach Kim Sang Sik ahead of the 2026 ASEAN Cup.

Becamex TP.HCM schedules a team reunion for early July, starting the squad rebuilding process for the 2026/27 First Division season.

Goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien faces fierce competition in the Vietnam national team, but still has a chance to surprise at the ASEAN Cup 2026.

Overseas Vietnamese goalkeeper Patrik Lê Giang, one of three newcomers to the Vietnam national team during this training camp ahead of the ASEAN Cup 2026, is confident he will quickly integrate with the help of the coaching staff and his new teammates.

Salary expert Yossi Gozlan reports: The Heat used a 125% trade exception in the Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, which has triggered the hard cap. They are now only $18.1 million away from the first luxury tax apron and need to use that money to fill four roster spots. However, they could create more cap space later by trading away Jovic or having Wiggins opt out of his contract.