Vietnam team enters campaign to defend ASEAN Cup championship

Immediately after returning to Hanoi, ending the nearly two-week training camp in Incheon (South Korea), coach Kim Sang-sik finalized the list for the 2026 AFF Cup (ASEAN Championship).

According to the coaching staff's decision, Lê Ngọc Bảo will return to Ninh Bình Club to continue treatment for a foot injury. The defender born in 1998 has not reached optimal fitness, so he cannot be part of Vietnam's campaign to defend the Southeast Asian throne. Ngọc Bảo suffered a foot injury before joining the national team and did not recover in time.

Earlier, overseas Vietnamese midfielder Ngô Đăng Khoa of Ho Chi Minh City Police Club also had to leave before the team's training camp in South Korea due to injury.

From 28 players, Vietnam now has exactly 26 players for the 2026 ASEAN Cup. Coach Kim Sang-sik does not intend to add more personnel. Each team will register 23 players from this list before each match.

The Vietnam national team squad currently has 3 goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 8 midfielders, and 5 forwards. Hanoi Police and Ninh Binh are the two clubs with the most players, contributing 6 names each. Next are Hanoi FC (5), The Cong Viettel, Nam Dinh, HAGL (2), Ho Chi Minh City Police, Hai Phong, Becamex Ho Chi Minh City (1).

In this call-up, there are 10 players participating in the tournament for the first time: Slovak-born overseas Vietnamese goalkeeper Lê Giang Patrik, defenders Phan Tuấn Tài, Nguyễn Nhật Minh, Đinh Quang Kiệt, midfielders Hoàng Hên, Ngọc Mỹ, forwards Đình Bắc, Phạm Gia Hưng, Tài Lộc, and Việt Cường.

Notably, midfielder Nguyễn Quang Hải and center-back Đỗ Duy Mạnh are absent.

During the training camp in South Korea, Vietnam played three friendly matches against Siheung FC (K League 1), Yongin FC (K League 2), and Gangwon FC (K League 1), winning all three. The series of friendlies for coach Kim Sang-sik's team in South Korea was not only significant in terms of results but also helped the coaching staff gain a comprehensive view of the squad, gradually shaping the main framework of the team.

Vietnam still has a friendly match against Myanmar at Thai Nguyen Stadium on July 18. This will be the final rehearsal for coach Kim Sang-sik to review the squad and decide on the group of 23 players registered for the opening match at the 2026 AFF Cup.

On July 21, coach Kim Sang-sik and his players will go to Thailand to prepare for the match against Timor Leste in the opening game of Group A of the 2026 ASEAN Cup at Chonburi Stadium on July 24. After that, the team will face Singapore at My Dinh Stadium on July 31, Indonesia (away, August 3), and Cambodia (home, August 7).

Vietnam national football team list
Goalkeepers (3): Trần Trung Kiên (HAGL), Đặng Văn Lâm (Ninh Bình), Lê Giang Patrik (Ho Chi Minh City Police).
Defenders (10): Phan Tuấn Tài (The Cong Viettel), Nguyễn Thành Chung, Đỗ Duy Mạnh, Phạm Xuân Mạnh (Hanoi), Trương Tiến Anh (Ninh Bình), Đoàn Văn Hậu, Bùi Hoàng Việt Anh (CAHN), Nguyễn Văn Vĩ (Nam Định), Nguyễn Nhật Minh (Hải Phòng), Đinh Quang Kiệt (HAGL).
Midfielders (8): Khuất Văn Khang (The Cong Viettel), Nguyễn Hai Long, Đỗ Hoàng Hên (Hanoi), Nguyễn Hoàng Đức, Nguyễn Ngọc Mỹ (Ninh Bình), Lê Phạm Thành Long, Lê Văn Đô, Nguyễn Quang Hải (CAHN).
Forwards (5): Phạm Gia Hưng, Nguyễn Tài Lộc (Ninh Bình), Nguyễn Đình Bắc (CAHN), Nguyễn Xuân Son (Nam Định), Nguyễn Trần Việt Cường (Becamex Ho Chi Minh City).