OFFICIAL: Croatian prodigy born in 2008 makes debut call-up to Vietnam national team

Vietnamese diaspora player Antonio Moric, who has impressed in Croatian youth football, officially appears on Vietnam U19 squad list.

As part of preparations for the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship and subsequently the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Vietnam U19 national team will convene its first training camp in 2026 with a total of 31 players. This gathering is considered a crucial initial step to review and assess the squad, as well as to provide young players an opportunity to showcase their abilities before entering intensive preparation phases for international objectives.

Among the call-ups, forward Antonio Moric (NK Trnje Club – Croatia), a Vietnamese diaspora player, is a name attracting significant attention. Born in 2008, the player stands 1.81m tall and is highly regarded for his versatile playing ability, capable of operating as a central midfielder or taking on roles as a left or right winger.

His flexible style allows Moric to easily adapt to various tactical systems. Despite his youth, he has already made appearances for NK Trnje’s senior team recently, thereby gaining additional experience in European football environment.

Antonio Moric was born in Hanoi and now officially holds a Vietnamese passport. This qualifies him to represent national team at all levels. With mixed Vietnamese–Croatian heritage—his father is Croatian and his mother Vietnamese—Moric is expected to become a notable figure in Vietnam’s youth football future.

Moric’s connection with Vietnamese football actually began about five years ago when he returned to Hanoi to participate in a U13 age-group tournament. There, the young player performed outstandingly and won the “Best Player” award, demonstrating notable development potential from an early age.

Besides Moric, this training camp list also includes goalkeeper Nguyen Ba Nhat Ka. Standing 1.96m tall, Nhat Ka currently plays for Ryukei University Football Club in Japan and previously had training opportunity with Vietnam U20 during a 2024 training camp in Japan preparing for 2025 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers.

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