Ly Duc directly points out the owner of Vietnam’s 2025 Ballon d'Or

The Vietnam U23 squad conducted their second practice on the afternoon of December 24th as part of their preparation for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship final stage.

On the afternoon of December 24th, the Vietnam U23 team continued training at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center as part of their preparation for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals. Before the session, center-back Ly Duc shared notable insights with the media about the team’s professional direction and expressed his personal hopes regarding the race for Vietnam’s 2025 Ballon d'Or.

The player currently representing Hanoi Police FC candidly acknowledged that after winning the SEA Games 33 gold medal, the team still has many areas to improve if they want to compete on the continental stage. Ly Duc stated: “Our current focus is to address the weaknesses revealed at the SEA Games, especially finishing and defensive organization. The coaching staff demands significant improvements in these two aspects from the entire team.”

Regarding the current squad for the Vietnam U23 training camp, Ly Duc added: “The addition of Le Van Ha and Bui Vi Hao is very positive. Le Van Ha has been called up several times before, while Bui Vi Hao, although just returning from injury, will provide more options for the attack.”

Besides professional matters, Ly Duc also showed special interest in the Vietnam 2025 Ballon d'Or race, where some of his teammates are highly regarded. When asked about potential candidates for this prestigious award, Ly Duc did not hide his support for one particular name. Ly Duc shared: “I can’t make a precise prediction yet, but personally, I hope Dinh Bac will win the Ballon d'Or.”

Speaking about the preparation process for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals, Ly Duc said: “In the past two days, we have only done light training and team bonding. Since it was light training, the coach hasn’t reminded us much. But before we gathered for the SEA Games, the coach already said this is not just preparation for the SEA Games, but for the future process including the AFC U23 Championship finals.”

Compared to the SEA Games, the Vietnam U23 center-back affirmed: “We will face very strong teams like Japan, South Korea, and representatives from West Asia. Therefore, the whole team must focus more and improve both offense and defense.”

According to the plan, Vietnam U23 will continue training domestically before heading to Qatar for a training camp, aiming to finalize preparations for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals.