Thai media goes wild as Vietnam gains another naturalized Brazilian player

Thai newspaper Ball expresses interest as center-back Gustavo Sant'Ana Santos (new name Đỗ Phi Long) successfully obtains Vietnamese citizenship.

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On 11/12, center-back Đỗ Phi Long (real name Gustavo Sant'Ana Santos) — currently playing for SHB Đà Nẵng — was officially granted Vietnamese citizenshipaccording to Decision No. 2332/QĐ-CTN issued by the President.

This marks a significant milestone in the nearly six-year journey of the Brazilian-born player with Vietnamese football, opening a brand new chapter with SHB Đà Nẵng and potentially the Vietnam national team.

Vietnam's acquisition of its third naturalized player within a year has attracted attention from Thai media. Recently, Thai Ball published an article about the SHB Đà Nẵng defender, highlighting that he will be a dangerous asset in Vietnam's defensive line in the future.

"The head coach of the Vietnam national team — Mr. Kim Sang Sik proposed to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to naturalize Gustavo Santos, a Brazilian center-back who has played in the V-League for over six years, to strengthen the defense.

Kim Sang Sik considers Gustavo Santos, a Brazilian from São Paulo, a promising talent well-suited to Vietnam's style of play with extensive V-League experience,"Ball Thai began.

"Recently, Gustavo Santos's naturalization was legally finalized. He will go by the Vietnamese name Đỗ Phi Long and is the third naturalized player after Rafaelson (Nguyên Xuân Sơn) and Hendrio Araujo (Đỗ Hoàng Hên)", Ball Thai added.

Between late 2024 and 2025, Vietnamese football welcomed three Brazilian-born players who obtained Vietnamese nationality. With citizenship, Đỗ Phi Long is expected to become a formidable new presence in the red team's defense, just as Xuân Son has done.

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Đỗ Phi Long speaks sincerely upon becoming a Vietnamese citizen On the morning of 11/12, at the Da Nang Department of Justice, player Đỗ Phi Long was officially granted Vietnamese citizenship under Decision No. 2332/QĐ-CTN issued by the President. See more