Official: No V-League player will participate in the World Cup.

Based on the preliminary rosters of the teams competing in the 2026 World Cup, there are no players from the V-League.

At the 2026 World Cup finals, Southeast Asian football still has representatives through players active in regional domestic leagues. However, the V-League remains an exception, as no foreign players currently playing in Vietnam were called up for the world's biggest football event among the 1,200 names on the preliminary World Cup squad lists.

According to both the official and preliminary squad lists already announced, four players from Southeast Asian clubs will feature in the 2026 World Cup. Among them, Jordan contributes two names: Noor Al Rawabdeh and Mo Abualnadi, both currently playing for Malaysia's Selangor FC. Noor Al Rawabdeh is an experienced figure who has held a key midfield role for the Jordan national team for many years. He played a major part in the journey that secured the West Asian team's first World Cup berth. Meanwhile, Mo Abualnadi is a younger face but has become a regular member of the national team since 2024.

Thai and Indonesian football also have representation through players from the Iraq national team. Center-back Rebin Sulaka currently plays for Port FC in the Thai League, while Frans Putros is with Persib Bandung, the recent champions of Indonesia's Liga 1 for the 2025/26 season. Both are experienced figures and continue to be trusted by Iraq in this year's World Cup campaign.

Among the foreign players who have previously played in the V-League, Percy Tau came the closest to having a chance to participate in the 2026 World Cup. The South African midfielder appeared in the qualifiers and was expected to be named in the final squad. However, fitness issues and inconsistent form led to his exclusion during the final squad selection. South Africa's attack was ultimately given to players with better current form.

The fact that the V-League has no representatives at the World Cup is not surprising. Most foreign players currently playing in Vietnam come from Brazil or certain European countries whose football is not among the world's elite. Many of those players are also not top choices for their national teams.

On the other hand, players from leading Asian football nations often choose more competitive leagues as their career destinations. In the context of increasingly fierce competition for World Cup spots, only those who maintain high professional standards and consistent form can make the cut. This highlights a certain gap between the V-League and other regional leagues that already have players present on the world's most prestigious stage.