Brand new naturalized star to join Vietnam National Team this November

Not Hendrio, Gustavo Santos is probably the player who will be summoned to the Vietnam National Team in the near future.

As previously reported, Hendrio has officially obtained Vietnamese citizenship and been renamed Đỗ Hoàng Hên. Although he could have played in the 7th round of the V-League match between Hanoi and Ninh Binh FC, Đỗ Hoàng Hên has not yet been immediately called up to the Vietnam National Team.

The Vietnam Football Federation will soon submit the necessary documents and handle procedures for Hendrio to present to FIFA, requesting permission for Đỗ Hoàng Hên to represent the Vietnam National Team. Therefore, Hendrio will debut for the national team soon, potentially as early as March 2026 if coach Kim Sang Sik calls him up. Hendrio will officially be eligible to wear the Vietnam jersey from January 2026.

However, this November, Vietnam National Team might welcome another naturalized star making his debut, but it won’t be Hendrio. According to VTC News, central defender Gustavo Santos is finalizing the procedures to obtain Vietnamese citizenship within the next month, possibly completing it by mid-November.

Currently, Gustavo has lived continuously in Vietnam for 5 years, so the defender qualifies to play for the Vietnam National Team once the VFF completes the registration procedures with FIFA. Generally, if these issues are resolved soon, the Brazilian-born defender could debut for Vietnam in November during the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers match against Laos.

The Brazilian defender previously attracted attention by posting photos supporting the Vietnam team during the Asian Cup 2027 qualifying match against Nepal. His status “Going to Vietnam” accompanied by the Vietnamese flag emoji quickly spread widely among fans.

Born in 1995, the star has played six years in Vietnam for various clubs like The Cong Viettel, Saigon FC, SLNA, Than Quang Ninh, Dong A Thanh Hoa, and currently Da Nang FC. With his strong physique and impressive ability to initiate attacks with his feet, Gustavo will be a valuable addition to the Vietnam National Team.