Since its inception in Vietnam in 1896, football has developed to become one of the country’s most passionate hobbies, encompassing fans and players from all walks of life. Several generations of Vietnamese footballers have achieved successes, bringing pride and hopes to the country. In recent times, much work has been put into promoting and training the younger talents, aiming to bring the national squad closer to big sport events.

There are no doubts that the Vietnamese love football, with local fans well-known for their enthusiastic support across the region. Images of football fans storming the streets to welcome home their U23 national football team – who grabbed second place at the Asian Football Confederation Championship earlier this year in China –and Olypic team whole made history by earning a ticket to the semi final of the men’s football at ASIAD 2018  inundated international media. Many fans hope that in the not-so-distant future, the Vietnamese football team will be able to compete in the pinnacled arena of the FIFA World Cup. To realise this dream, football training and practice programmes have been intensified in recent years, especially amongst younger age groups.-VNA