Vietnam's national team achieves unprecedented milestone with overseas Vietnamese star players

Currently, there are 10 overseas Vietnamese and naturalized players training with three national teams: U19, U23, and the senior squad, the highest number in history.

According to the latest information, Vietnam's U19 team has added 10 quality players in the first training camp of 2026. Among them is a relatively unfamiliar name: Canadian-Vietnamese goalkeeper Aaron Tú Vinh Napierala. This decision continues to increase the number of overseas Vietnamese and naturalized players in Vietnamese football this March.

Born in 2007, Aaron Tú Vinh Napierala has a Canadian father and a Vietnamese mother, currently holding dual citizenship. Before returning to Vietnam, this 1.83m tall goalkeeper trained in Canada and Spain. In 2024, he had a trial with Ho Chi Minh City FC and received positive evaluations from the coaching staff, though he still needs more time to further develop and refine his skills.

Currently, three Vietnamese national teams are training: U19, U23, and the senior squad. The number of players with foreign backgrounds (overseas Vietnamese + naturalized) has reached 10. In the senior national team, three overseas Vietnamese players are Nguyễn Filip, Đặng Văn Lâm, and Cao Quang Vinh, along with two naturalized players of Brazilian origin: Xuân Son and Hoàng Hên.

Vietnam's U23 team also has two overseas Vietnamese players: Nguyễn Vadim and Trần Thành Trung, while the U19 team possesses three young overseas Vietnamese talents: Nguyễn Bá Nhật Ka, Antonio Moric, and Aaron Tu Vinh Napierala. This is a rare, high number of overseas Vietnamese and naturalized players in Vietnamese football.

This is a positive signal for Vietnamese football as the wave of overseas Vietnamese players returns home to contribute. Additionally, foreign players who have dedicated themselves to Vietnamese football for a long time gaining naturalization also provides the national team with more quality options, especially in the context of this being a global football trend.

Currently, the number of overseas Vietnamese players could exceed 100, many of whom have been called up to youth teams but some have not yet been fully utilized. Beyond football ability, integration and adaptability are also essential qualities overseas Vietnamese players need when returning home to contribute.

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