Indonesian media surprised that Vietnam's national team cannot yet call up three Brazilian-born stars

Indonesian media reports that Vietnam's plan to add three Brazilian-born players cannot be implemented, as the naturalization procedures have not been completed within the deadline.

Indonesian media recently stated that the plan to add additional Brazilian-born players to the Vietnam national team is facing obstacles, as three naturalized names have not completed the necessary procedures to join the upcoming training camp.

According to information published on Superball, the Vietnam national team had hoped to add three naturalized Brazilian-born players to strengthen the squad under coach Kim Sang-sik. However, the process of completing legal paperwork has not been handled timely, forcing this plan to be postponed.

Initially, these players were expected to be part of the squad preparing for the crucial match against Malaysia later this month, in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. However, due to incomplete naturalization procedures, they cannot be called up to the national team at this time.

In the most recent training camp, the Vietnam national team only called up forward Nguyen Xuan Son. Meanwhile, several other Brazilian players still in the process of completing their paperwork cannot yet participate.

Two notable names awaiting completion of naturalization procedures are Janclesio Santos and Geovane Magno. Both have played in V.League since 2019 and are believed to meet the condition of continuous residence in Vietnam for over five years. However, the final legal steps are not yet complete, preventing them from qualifying to wear the national team jersey.

According to some sources, coach Kim Sang-sik and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) had proposed relevant agencies to assist in expediting the naturalization paperwork processing for these two players. Nevertheless, up to now, the process has not yielded the expected results.

Additionally, another player awaiting completion of procedures is center-back Gustavo, who obtained Vietnamese citizenship under the name Do Phi Long in late 2025. However, he still needs to prove to FIFA his continuous five-year residence in Vietnam, as the COVID-19 period had disrupted this process.

If all procedures are completed in the near future, the Vietnam national team could possess more Brazilian-born players in its squad. According to assessments by some Indonesian media outlets, this could help "The Golden Star Warriors" gain additional strength, especially in positions where Vietnamese football needs quality reinforcement.