V.League has made significant progress within Southeast Asia.

V.League has officially overtaken the Malaysia Super League, ranking third in Southeast Asia in terms of total squad value for the 2025/26 season.

Vietnamese football has just marked an important milestone in the region, as V.League 1 in the 2025/26 season has officially surpassed the Malaysia Super League to claim the third spot in Southeast Asia for total squad value. According to updated statistics from Transfermarkt as of August 18, 2025, the total value of players in V.League 1 reached 53.74 million Euros, highlighting the clear advancement of Vietnamese football in its professionalization journey.

For many years, V.League was often rated lower than neighboring leagues in terms of attracting quality foreign players and overall market value. However, the 2025/26 season has seen a remarkable shift.

The decision by several clubs to recruit foreign players with experience in Europe or South America has greatly boosted the overall squad value.

For example, Nam Dinh FC successfully signed new recruits such as goalkeeper Caique (valued at 800,000 Euros), South African midfielder Njabulo Blom (950,000 Euros), and notably striker Percy Tau, who previously played in the English Premier League and is valued at 1 million Euros. Meanwhile, Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC secured center-back Matheus Felipe for 1 million Euros.

Despite this notable rise, V.League 1 still trails far behind the top two leagues. Thailand’s Thai League 1 currently leads the region with a total value of 76.84 million Euros, which is 23.1 million Euros higher than V.League. Indonesia’s Super League (Liga 1) holds second place with 71.54 million Euros, about 17.8 million Euros more than V.League.

This gap indicates that V.League 1 needs more time to catch up with the leading group, both in player quality and commercial appeal. Nevertheless, surpassing the Malaysia Super League—a former rival considered on par—demonstrates the development of Vietnamese clubs.

As Vietnamese football strives for greater professionalism, this achievement is seen as a crucial stepping stone. If the strategy to attract talented foreign players continues, along with systematic youth development, V.League 1 could soon narrow the gap with Thailand and Indonesia in the near future.

V.League 1’s breakthrough in the 2025/26 season clearly reflects the positive transformation of Vietnamese football. Once ranked behind regional leagues, V.League now features among Southeast Asia’s top three in squad value. Although the gap with Thai League 1 and Indonesia Super League remains substantial, with its current foundation, V.League can aim to further elevate its status and affirm its position on the regional football map.