More than just numbers

VHO - While the debate on allowing the use of 3 or 4 foreign players at the same time in V.League 2025/26 is still open, the more important question that needs to be asked is what is the necessary limit for the sustainable development of Vietnamese football?

Because the story does not only revolve around a foreign player appearing on the field, but also an entire ecosystem from youth training, competition structure, to the national team's capacity on the journey towards the 2030 Asian Cup and the 2030 World Cup.

Many V.League clubs propose to register 4 and play 4 foreign players at the same time. Photo: VPF

According to the preliminary regulations sent by VPF to V.League clubs, each team will be allowed to register a maximum of 4 foreign players but only use 3 players on the field at the same time. However, 7 clubs with financial potential such as Hanoi FC, The Cong Viettel, CAHN, Nam Dinh , Hai Phong, Da Nang and Hong Linh Ha Tinh have sent a document proposing to allow the use of all 4 foreign players at all times of the match.

The reason given is to avoid wasting resources, improve professional quality and better prepare for international competitions. VPF has compiled opinions and reported to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) for consideration and direction today. It is expected that the results will be finalized before the V-League 2025/26 draw on July 14.

In theory, increasing the number of foreign players can contribute to increasing competition, making matches more attractive, thereby leading to development in terms of media, commerce and audience.

But on the other hand, it means that at least one domestic player will lose the opportunity to play, which is especially noteworthy in the context of Vietnamese football facing a situation where the source of young players with skills, courage and the ability to adapt to the modern competition system is slowing down.

It is undeniable that quality foreign players have been making positive contributions to clubs and the entire tournament. However, when the professional playing field becomes too “crowded” for domestic players, especially those in the U21 - U23 age group, the long-term consequence will be an unfillable void in the national team squad.

The number of foreign players used to be one of the key issues of emerging football. Vietnam's direct rivals in the region such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia are also following this path. In Thai League 1, each team is allowed to register 7 foreign players.

Malaysia even allowed 9 foreign players to play in a match. Indonesia was heavily criticized when it increased the number of registered foreign players to 11 and allowed 8 players to play in a match. In Vietnam, in 2001 and 2002, each team was allowed to register 7 foreign players, from 2003 it was reduced to 4, from 2005-2010 it was 5, in 2011 it was reduced to 4 and allowed 3 foreign players to play.

However, before thinking about increasing the number of foreign players to “compete regionally”, we need to face the reality that most V.League clubs have not yet built a proper youth training academy, have no system for monitoring movement, data analysis or proper sports doctors. They still have to manage with a tight budget, depending on local or unstable sponsors.

Another aspect is that the quality of foreign players in V.League is not necessarily uniform. Physical superiority can bring advantages on the field, but foreign players with talent, courage and professionalism to set an example for young players are still rare. Increasing foreign players may be a "shortcut" for short-term achievements, but in the long run, it will affect the sustainable development process.

On July 5, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong signed Decision No. 2368/QD-BVHTTDL, approving the Project on developing Vietnamese football until 2030, with a vision to 2045. The project is divided into two phases. In particular, the goal of men's football is to strive to reach the third qualifying round of the 2030 World Cup, strive to qualify for the 2034 World Cup; and win a place to participate in at least one Olympic Games in 2028 or 2032.

It is worth noting that this big dream is not built on slogans or short-term achievements. In the Project, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism emphasized that the development of Vietnamese football must be linked to the principle of sustainability. That is, instead of only caring about the World Cup ticket, it is necessary to take care of the roots - from the school football movement, local facilities, to academies and youth training systems.

In more depth, the Project also requires the completion of the football market structure, a prerequisite for turning the king sport into a true comprehensive service economy . Issues such as legal mechanisms, image rights, media copyright, player transfer market, etc. are all mentioned with a serious attitude and long-term vision.

We are witnessing an imbalance between the tournaments: V.League lacks young players to play, the First Division has not created pressure on V.League. Meanwhile, the national team is continuously having difficulty finding new players to replace the generation of players who created miracles in Changzhou.

One of the common arguments of clubs proposing to increase foreign players is to get used to the pace of competition in the AFC Champions League or Southeast Asian tournaments. However, that is only half the truth. Because if the teams cannot build their own identity, do not have enough depth of domestic players, even with 7 or 10 foreign players, it will be difficult to make an impression on the international stage. If they only focus on increasing foreign players without strengthening their internal infrastructure, V.League clubs will continue to fall into the spiral of "using foreign players to patch up internal gaps", until they fall into a financial crisis and lose direction.

If we really want to integrate and reach the continental level, we need to lay the foundation from the maturity of domestic players, from youth tournaments to the First Division system, specifically investing in the academy system, encouraging local youth training... When the internal strength is strong, foreign players are only a catalyst, not a savior.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/khong-chi-la-con-so-151131.html