Thanh Hóa is crafting a fairy tale in the V-League, but what happens next?

Thanh Hóa is creating a unique story in the 2025/26 V-League season, rising up amid tough challenges, yet every miracle has its limits.

Thanh Hóa Football Club is going through a period where all standards of “professionalism” are being pushed aside. With finances nearly dried up, an incredibly thin squad, and every trip becoming a difficult problem to solve, the Thanh team still manages to write an emotional chapter in the 2025/26 V-League.

The 2-1 victory over Ho Chi Minh City Police FC was more than just three points. It was like a statement that Thanh Hóa refuses to give up, despite being surrounded by various instabilities.

In the V-League, it's common for a strong team to rely on a big budget, quality foreign players, and expensive stars. But Thanh Hóa is going the opposite way now, a team built on faith. Thanh Hóa plays while hoping for support, trains while worrying about the club’s most basic needs. At times, even those involved are unsure if the team can maintain its daily routine tomorrow.

That is why Thanh Hóa’s determination to play and even defeat a medal-contending rival like Ho Chi Minh City Police is so remarkable. It didn’t come from complex tactical plans or well-prepared moves. Many players admit the team had almost no other option but to step onto the field and give everything they had.

A detail both bitter and haunting is goalkeeper Xuân Hoàng having to prepare… two jerseys: one for his role as goalkeeper, and another ready in case he had to play as an outfield player if the squad broke down due to lack of players. This scene is tragicomic, raising questions about the operational foundation of a traditional club that once held a significant position in Vietnamese football.

Young player Nguyễn Ngọc Mỹ, just back from the 2026 U23 Asian Championship, frankly said Thanh Hóa had no special tactics, just trying their best not to let down the jersey.

This simple confession accurately reflects the current picture: Thanh Hóa survives through unity, willpower, and the belief of people struggling through each round. Coach Mai Xuân Hợp, steering the team amid the storm, sometimes feels like crying under the prolonged pressure.

But from here, Thanh Hóa’s story sets an unavoidable boundary: spirit can save a few matches, help the team through a phase, but professional football cannot live forever on emotions.

Thanh Hóa still needs a minimum budget to pay salaries, provide medical care, maintain logistics, ensure travel, and run the club. Playing while worrying about finances is a huge mental burden, not only for players but for the entire coaching staff.

Today, Thanh Hóa is praised for its spirit, but at the same time, it raises concerns for their future and for a league where many clubs rely heavily on sponsors rather than their own value. Nevertheless, amid instability, Thanh Hóa has not given up. They fight to keep the fans’ faith, the most precious “capital” right now. What people from Thanh await is not just a few more wins, but a sustainable way out so their hometown team doesn’t have to keep struggling to survive.