Hot football midday news 13/7: CAHN signs striker who once played for Belgium

Hanoi Police brings in ex-Belgian youth international, boosting Vietnam's World Cup 2030 prospects, plus the latest World Cup 2026 news and transfer updates.

CAHN recruits striker who previously played for Belgium.

The signing of David Henen demonstrates CAHN's determination to upgrade their squad ahead of the 2026/27 season. The former Belgian youth international is expected to strengthen the attack thanks to his European experience and his time in the V-League playing for SHB Da Nang.

Earlier, the police force's football club also brought in Damia Sabater, Y Eli Nie, and retained key players like Nguyen Filip, Doan Van Hau, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, and Alan Grafite. With an increasingly complete squad, CAHN shows ambition to compete for titles in all four arenas: V-League, National Cup, ASEAN Club Championship, and Asian competitions.

What opportunities for Vietnam national team when World Cup expands to 64 teams?

FIFA President Gianni Infantino's proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams could open up more slots for Asia, thus increasing Vietnam's chances of competing for a historic ticket. However, the Golden Star Warriors still have to face many strong continental opponents, while also dealing with the generational transition as many key players will be past their peak by 2030. Additionally, a more open policy towards naturalized players and overseas Vietnamese is expected to add quality resources to the team. Nevertheless, to turn the World Cup dream into reality, Vietnamese football still needs systematic investment in youth training, elevating the V-League, and creating conditions for players to gain experience at the highest level.

France finds key to victory against Spain.

Spain entered the semi-finals with an impressive defensive record, but their performance against Belgium showed that the pressing system of La Roja still had weaknesses. After breaking through the first pressing line, Belgium repeatedly exploited the space behind the midfield and ended the streak of 650 minutes clean sheets for Unai Simon.

This is considered valuable data for coach Didier Deschamps to build a game plan for the French team. With the speed of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, along with sharp transition ability, Les Bleus are expected to exploit the spaces Spain leaves exposed. If they can break the first pressing line, France has every chance to make a difference in the big clash in Dallas.

Bellingham's controversial statement.

Despite scoring a brace to help England come from behind to beat Norway 2-1 and secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, Jude Bellingham drew attention with his reaction to the criticism from coach Thomas Tuchel. The 23-year-old midfielder briefly replied: "Yeah, whatever" when asked about the German tactician's comments, causing former coach Alan Pardew to express concern. According to Pardew, the problem is not Bellingham's performance but how the Real Madrid star reacts to the coach. He believes Tuchel should have a private conversation soon to resolve the issue, thereby helping Bellingham maintain the best mental state ahead of the crucial semi-final clash with Argentina.

Notable transfer news.

Man Utd decides not to activate the buy-back clause for Mason Greenwood, thereby allowing Marseille to sell the English striker to Fenerbahce. The Red Devils are said to receive over 10 million Pounds from the sell-on clause. Meanwhile, Arsenal are reported to have reached a personal agreement with Bruno Guimaraes, but still need to convince Newcastle to release their captain.

In another development, Aston Villa surprisingly leapfrogged Newcastle in the race for young midfielder Johan Manzambi after the Swiss player prioritized a move to Villa Park. Additionally, Galatasaray are set to complete the deal for Lesley Ugochukwu from Burnley for a fee of around 25 million Pounds, opening a new chapter for the former Chelsea midfielder.