AFF’s sincere evaluation of Vietnam’s football position in Southeast Asia

At the 2025 Annual Congress of the Vietnam Football Federation, Mr. Winston Lee - General Secretary of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) expressed his congratulations to Vietnamese football for an outstanding year of performance.

Mr. Winston Lee stated: “I am honored to be present in Vietnam today. Congratulations to Vietnamese football for starting 2025 impressively by winning the ASEAN AMEC Cup, followed by the U23 Southeast Asia Championship mid-year, and ending the year with the SEA Games Gold Medal.

It is clear that 2025 has been an extremely successful year for Vietnamese football. This success is thanks to the attention and guidance from various levels of government, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam Sports Administration, along with the strong support and collaboration of clubs and member organizations. It is also a collective achievement of the Vietnamese people, who have always shown great love and passion for football. We have every reason to be proud of these accomplishments.

The results achieved today prove the persistent efforts and correct development direction of Vietnamese football over time. Notably, in 2025, as many as seven Vietnamese national teams qualified for the final rounds of AFC tournaments—an important milestone reflecting Vietnam’s continuous football progress.

Moreover, having three Vietnamese representatives participating in FIFA’s functional committees demonstrates the increasing role and status of Vietnam on the international stage. Within this shared success, we highly appreciate the leadership and significant contributions of the President of the Vietnam Football Federation, Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan.

Vietnamese football’s success is not only a source of pride for Vietnam but also for Southeast Asian football as a whole. We are very proud of the achievements of Vietnamese football and sincerely hope you will soon qualify for the World Cup.

I would like to sincerely thank the Vietnam Football Federation for its positive contributions to the development and overall success of Southeast Asian football.”

The year 2025 marks a remarkable development for Vietnamese football at the regional and continental levels. Under the strategic direction and focused investment of the Vietnam Football Federation, as many as seven national and youth teams qualified for the 2025/26 Asian Championship finals, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of a sustainable development roadmap.

The men’s national team started the year by winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup undefeated, making history by lifting the trophy on away soil. Despite challenges during the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers due to squad transitions, 2025 is still considered a critical turning point for a new development cycle.

In women’s football, the national team secured a spot in the 2026 Asian Cup finals, won the Southeast Asian bronze medal, and competed valiantly at the 33rd SEA Games, continuing to affirm their regional status. The U22/U23 men’s teams maintained their core role by winning the U23 Southeast Asia Championship for the third consecutive time, sweeping the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers undefeated, and making a strong impression at the SEA Games.

Vietnamese futsal also made significant progress, particularly with the historic women’s futsal gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games. Simultaneously, the youth male and female teams consistently secured places in the Asian Championship finals, laying a solid foundation for the future of Vietnamese football.