Ambassador Ito Naoki: "From the 2026 World Cup, I hope to see many young Vietnamese players competing in the J.League"

In a recent press interview, Japan's Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. Ito Naoki, is convinced that many Vietnamese footballers will soon play in the J.League, and he aspires to enhance bilateral football collaboration.

The Samurai spirit on the global stage

Assessing the performance of the Japanese national team at this year's World Cup, Ambassador Ito Naoki affirmed that the "Samurai Blue's" ultimate weapon lies not only in tactics but also in their unity and unwavering, resilient will.

Looking back at the thrilling opening match on June 15 against a formidable opponent, the Netherlands, the ambassador asserted that the Japanese players embodied that spirit by scoring a valuable equalizer in the final minutes to secure a dramatic point.

Recalling the famous words of legend Pelé—"Football is the universal language of the world, no words needed"—the ambassador expressed his emotion at seeing fans from Japan, Vietnam, and around the globe beating as one during these days.

Looking ahead to the second match against Tunisia at 11 a.m. on June 21, Ambassador Ito Naoki sent a message to Vietnamese viewers: "I believe that the passionate support from Vietnamese fans will give the Samurai Blue immense strength to secure victory and steadily advance toward the ultimate goal of winning this World Cup."

J-League: A bridge elevating Vietnamese football

Beyond following his own team, the ambassador also expressed admiration for the remarkable progress of Vietnamese football in recent years, particularly the women's team's impact at the 2023 World Cup and the U17 men's team's ticket to next year's World Cup.

In fact, the foundation for this development has been steadily built since 2014 through a cooperation agreement between the Japan Football Association (JFA) and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). Today, this relationship has deepened and strongly spread to school football and community football in Vietnam. The presence of football academies from renowned J1-League clubs like Urawa Reds in Hanoi and Kawasaki Frontale in Ho Chi Minh City is clear evidence of the commitment to training and elevating the skills of young Vietnamese players from the grassroots level.

In particular, Ambassador Ito Naoki outlined a strategic vision for the next step in this cooperation: sending promising young Vietnamese talents to play in the J-League.

According to the ambassador, training and gaining top-level experience in a fiercely competitive league like J1 will help Vietnamese players break through in both mindset and playing skills. "When Vietnamese players secure regular spots in J1, the national team's capabilities will be greatly elevated. At that point, the Vietnamese men's team participating in the world's biggest football festival in the near future will certainly no longer be a distant dream," Ambassador Ito Naoki emphasized.