Dinh Bac and the fierce competition in the attack line of the Vietnam national team

Striker Dinh Bac enters the 2026 ASEAN Cup with the momentum of an explosive end to the season with Hanoi Police Club. However, 10 goals in the 2025/26 V-League and the status of the best domestic striker are not enough to guarantee the 22-year-old a starting spot under coach Kim Sang Sik.

On the eve ofASEAN Cup 2026, Coach Kim Sang Sik has many quality options and the competition for positions has never been so fierce.

Dinh Bac has emerged as a bright candidate after a year of remarkable progress, but he is not a guaranteed starter.

10 goals in the V-League made Dinh Bac the best domestic scorer in the tournament. But the national team is always a different story.

For coach Kim Sang Sik at this moment, the striker born in 2004 is just one of many options. Xuan Son is almost certain to hold the number one center forward position thanks to his class, goal-scoring ability, and international experience.

When the top spot in the attack is almost taken, the remaining players must fiercely compete for the two remaining positions in the three-forward formation that coach Kim Sang Sik is building.

In the caseXuan Sonleads the attack, the striker from Nghe An likely has to move to one of the wings.

There, Dinh Bac will enter a ruthless competition with Hai Long, Hoang Hen, Ngoc My, Van Do, Pham Gia Hung, Nguyen Tai Loc, and Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong. Each possesses their own strengths, from speed, individual technique to playing experience.

There is no longer the concept of 'substitute' or 'default starter'. Everyone must compete based on form. The training camp in South Korea partly reflects the very fair selection philosophy ofCoach Kim Sang Sik. Dinh Bac scored in the first friendly match, leaving a significant mark. However, when the quality of opponents increased in the next two matches, he could not continue to find the net.

At that time, Xuan Son, Gia Hung, and Hai Long together scored four goals in those two difficult matches. The seniors knew how to step up at the right time, against higher-level opponents.

Coach Kim Sang Sik certainly does not only look at the number of goals. But in a short tournament like the ASEAN Cup, form and the ability to make a difference in big matches are always the most important criteria.

Dinh Bac does not lack memorable milestones in his career. The 22-year-old once made all of Asia know him with a goal against Japan at the 2023 Asian Cup. Then came the 2025 U23 Southeast Asia championship, the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, the top scorer title and the bronze medal at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship.

Those achievements show that Dinh Bac has the capability to become the future of Vietnamese football. However, there is always a huge gap between a young talent and a true star of the national team. The 2026 ASEAN Cup is also the biggest challenge for Dinh Bac.

The regional tournament is not only a platform for Bac to prove his goal-scoring ability but also a place to assert his mettle in a team with the highest competitiveness in many years.