The Vietnam Third Division officially kicked off

The opening ceremony of the 2025 National Third Division Football Tournament and the first match were held on the afternoon of October 26.

On the afternoon of October 26, the opening ceremony of the 2025 National Third Division Football Tournament was held at Hoai Duc Stadium (Hanoi), officially starting the competition for the new season.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Minh Chau – Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Football Federation and Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee – emphasized: “The National Third Division Football Tournament is a meaningful platform for clubs, youth training centers, and amateur teams nationwide, serving as a stepping stone toward the 2026 National Second Division.

The Vietnam Football Federation believes that with the spirit of unity, honesty, and sportsmanship, the teams will give their best efforts, delivering exciting, lively matches full of local character for the audience.” Deputy General Secretary Nguyen Minh Chau also expressed gratitude to the hosting units, technical staff, and fans for their support in organizing the tournament.

This season’s Third Division features 17 participating teams, including: An Giang, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Hanoi Bulls, Hoai Duc, Luxury Ha Long, Phu Dong FC, STP FOOD Ho Chi Minh City, Becamex Youth Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi Police Youth, Dak Lak Youth, Thong Nhat – TPG Youth, Dao Ha Football Center, Ha Tinh Sports Training Center, Khanh Hoa Sports Training Center, Dong Nai University of Technology, and Truong Giang – Gia Dinh.

The teams are divided into three groups: Group A (hosted by Hoai Duc Football Joint Stock Company) includes Hanoi Bulls, Hoai Duc, Luxury Ha Long, Phu Dong FC, Dao Ha Football Center, Hanoi Police Youth; Group B (hosted by Dak Lak Sports Training Center) includes Dak Lak Youth, Thong Nhat – TPG Youth, Becamex Youth Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa Sports Training Center, Ha Tinh Sports Training Center;

Group C (hosted by KENOS Joint Stock Company and Hoc Mon Cultural and Sports Service Center, Ho Chi Minh City) includes An Giang, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Dong Nai University of Technology, STP FOOD Ho Chi Minh City, and Truong Giang – Gia Dinh.

The tournament uses a double round-robin centralized format to calculate points and rankings within each group. The three group winners and the best runner-up will qualify for the 2026 National Second Division. When evaluating the best runner-up, the Organizing Committee excludes results against the last-placed team in the larger group to ensure fairness in the number of matches played.

Immediately after the opening ceremony, the match between Hoai Duc Youth and Dao Ha Football Center took place. Benefiting from home advantage and enthusiastic support from the crowd, Hoai Duc Youth won 2-1. Earlier, in a match held at 2:00 PM, Hanoi Bulls and Luxury Ha Long drew 0-0.