A group of U23 Vietnamese stars are nominated in two categories for the Vietnam Footballer of the Year award.

Hieu Minh and Dinh Bac have just been listed as nominees for both the Vietnam Footballer of the Year and the Best Young Player of the Year awards.

On the morning of November 6, Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper – the organizer of the 2025 Vietnam Golden Ball Awards – officially announced the list of 23 players nominated for the Male Golden Ball category, the most prestigious football honor in Vietnam. This marks the 30th edition of the awards, celebrating three decades of recognizing the finest talents on Vietnamese football fields.

Three U23 Vietnamese players, including Khuat Van Khang (Viettel), Nguyen Dinh Bac (Hanoi Police), and Nguyen Hieu Minh (PVF-CAND), are outstanding young talents nominated for the Best Male Player of the Year. Notably, Dinh Bac and Hieu Minh are also listed among the best young players of the year under 21, alongside other promising young stars.

Among the nominees for the Best Young Player of the Year, Dinh Bac is likely the frontrunner to win. The Hanoi Police player had an exceptionally successful 2025 season both at club and national team levels, despite being just over 21 years old.

At Hanoi Police, Dinh Bac secured the National Cup and the National Super Cup titles, along with a third-place finish in the V-League. Although not always a regular starter, he impressed whenever given the chance to play.

Dinh Bac’s performances for the national team have been even more remarkable. Born in 2004, he led the U23 Vietnam team to win the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award, helped his team advance through the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers, and has been regularly called up to the senior national team.

Therefore, compared to teammates like Hieu Minh, Van Thuan, Ngoc My, and Cong Phuong, Dinh Bac’s achievements in 2025 stand out significantly. The Best Young Player award is thus very likely to go to the Hanoi Police player.