Vietnamese Team Participates in European Tournament

The women's football squad of "Community Football in Vietnam" is set to take part in the "Homeless World Cup 2025" hosted in Oslo, Norway.

According to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the Vietnamese community women's football team will attend the Homeless World Cup 2025 in Oslo with four young players, all aged 16-17, who are ethnic minority students facing difficult circumstances and actively involved in Community Football Clubs (FFAV Clubs) in Tuyên Quang province.

Specifically, the four outstanding representatives — Nông Thị Hồng Nhung, Lã Kim Tâm, Hoàng Thị Hồng Thắm, and Hoàng Phương Ly — represent over 33,000 male and female players from 153 FFAV clubs nationwide, supported by the Norwegian Football Federation/Community Football Project in Vietnam (NFF/FFAV) since 2019. At this tournament, the Vietnamese female players will have the opportunity to meet and compete with 22 women's teams from 22 different countries.

The Homeless World Cup 2025 marks its 20th edition, with Oslo hosting for the second time after first doing so in 2017. This year’s event gathers over 500 players from 63 teams representing 48 member countries, including 40 men's and 23 women's teams. Vietnam is among six countries making their debut alongside Burkina Faso, Canada, Spain, Tanzania, and Zambia.

The Vietnamese delegation consists of six members: four players, one team leader, and one coach. The main activities run from August 21 to 31, including the opening ceremony, group matches, cultural exchanges, and artistic performances showcasing Vietnamese culture; a meeting and discussion with the Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam, Ms. Hilde Solbakken, on August 23. Additionally, the team will visit and work with leaders of the Norwegian Football Federation, meet with the Vietnamese Embassy in Oslo, before attending the closing ceremony on August 30 and returning home on August 31.

The "Community Football in Vietnam" project was initiated by the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) and the Norwegian government in 2001, in partnership with VFF, aiming to develop grassroots football combined with life skills education for youth. In 2003, the FFAV model was implemented in Thừa Thiên Huế and expanded to many provinces by 2015 under Vietnam’s football development strategy through 2020 with a vision toward 2030.

At the end of 2018, NFF handed over the model to local partners, focusing on technical support for nationwide expansion. From 2015 to late 2024, over 505 FFAV clubs across 15 provinces and cities have been developed, providing opportunities for more than 50,000 students, about half of whom are girls, to participate in football and life skills training.

The FFAV model has also been integrated into projects by international organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFPA, Norwegian Mission Alliance, NPA, NAV/NCA, and Plan International in Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, contributing to grassroots football development and life skills education for students in many localities.

Related Article

Brazilian Midfielder’s Candid Opinion on Vietnamese Football Level Midfielder Willian Maranhao shared his thoughts on the level of Vietnamese football as well as his goals while playing for Hanoi FC. See More