The tournament provides an opportunity for clubs, localities and sports units from across the country to assess their athletes after training, while identifying promising competitors for the national team.
Vietnamese players were thirsty for the SEAN Hyundai Cup title when playing final''s first leg match against Thailand in Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium on August 22.
Việt Nam head coach Kim Sang-sik has urged his players to stay focused after a 2-0 win over Malaysia in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals on Sunday.
Việt Nam are making use of the growing trend of naturalised players in Southeast Asian football while keeping an important role for home-grown talent, with Nguyễn Đình Bắc among the clearest examples.
Malaysia have home advantage while Việt Nam are really powerful when they meet in the first leg of the ASEAN Hyundai Cup semi-finals on August 16 in Kuala Lumpur.
Ten clubs will compete in the first season from August 22 to November 29 in two groups and each club can register one naturalised player and one player of Vietnamese descent.
VFF said the result reflected the team’s strong collective spirit and determination, describing the achievement as a proud milestone that would help raise the profile of Vietnamese football on the international stage.
Bắc''s nearest rivals among players still in the tournament are Ilhan Fandi Ahmad of Singapore and Paulo Josue of Malaysia who have both scored three goals apiece.
The opening round promises plenty of excitements as defending champions Hà Nội Police begin their title defence against Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh at Hàng Đẫy Stadium.