Ready to write new history

VHO - The draw and schedule of the LPBank National Football Championship 1-2025/26 was held in Hanoi on the afternoon of July 14. The event not only marked the start of Vietnam's professional football season after 25 years, but also opened a new exciting chapter for the first time, the city named after Uncle Ho (after the merger of Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau) became the "multi-polar center" of domestic football with six representatives in parallel in the professional leagues.

Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Nam Nhan (right)

New look of the Southern football "capital"

In the era of administrative boundary innovation, the expanded Ho Chi Minh City possesses many advantages that are “hard to find rivals” with a population exceeding 14 million, GRDP accounting for more than 23% of the country’s GDP, and a strongly developed logistics infrastructure. When two localities with rich sports traditions, Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, officially come together, the football potential of Ho Chi Minh City is strongly resonated.

Right at the highest professional level, the audience will witness the return of Ho Chi Minh City Police (the new name of Ho Chi Minh City Club) alongside Becamex Ho Chi Minh City - the team that won the national championship three times when playing for Binh Duong . In the First Division, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City Youth, Gia Dinh and Van Hien University continue to thicken the urban football map. Six colors, six identities, but with the same aspiration to turn the new Ho Chi Minh City into the "capital" of football.

Mr. Nguyen Nam Nhan, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City emphasized: “Football used to be the cultural soul of Saigon. Now, when Ho Chi Minh City expands its boundaries, we determine that sports (especially football) must become a bond that connects the community, promoting the night-time economy , tourism and creativity.

The city's leaders have assigned the Sports Department to coordinate and guide the clubs to build a professional management model, strengthen youth training, standardize facilities, and meet new development requirements. With the strength of the largest economic center in the country, the attention of the city's leaders and the love of football of the people of Ho Chi Minh City, we hope to bring fans worthy matches, restore the spirit of typical football teams such as Saigon Port in the past and create more cultural and entertainment destinations for the city."

Mr. Nguyen Nam Nhan believes that the six teams will be the "launching pad" for the local football ecosystem: "From the gifted to the professional level, we want Ho Chi Minh City players to be capable of contributing to the national team, while creating an economic - media - tourism value chain right on the field. We are deeply aware that football is not only a 90-minute game but also an economic - tourism lever, a cultural nucleus. When a child dreams of wearing the city's football team's jersey, that is the deepest success. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will accompany VFF, VPF and businesses to nurture talent, improve the quality of the tournament, towards the image of a new Ho Chi Minh City - a dynamic, inclusive and modern sports city".

LPBank V.League 1-2025/26 kicks off on August 15 with 14 clubs: Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City Police, Hanoi Police, Dong A Thanh Hoa, Hanoi FC, Hai Phong, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Hong Linh Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh, Quang Nam, SHB Da Nang, Song Lam Nghe An, Thep Xanh Nam Dinh and The Cong Viettel. The two-round robin format (26 rounds, 182 matches) ensures fairness, while the total prize fund of 9.5 billion VND for the three highest rankings is enough to stimulate championship ambitions.

But what fans are most looking forward to are the series of "intra-provincial/city derbies", which are the matches between Ho Chi Minh City Police - Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi Police - The Cong Viettel, or SHB Da Nang - Quang Nam...

In the new season, Becamex Binh Duong players will have a new name, Becamex TP.HCM, and will become one of two teams playing in the V.League of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: VPF

Locating the “super city” on the regional football map

VPF representatives expect that the derby matches in the same province and city will be an opportunity to develop the image of the tournament as well as expectations for changes in football management and development to suit the capacity and actual conditions of the localities; in addition, there will be an increase in the number of traditional fans, with identity, brand, and associated with local traditions.

VPF Company has built codes for teams from the same province to meet each other in the first rounds of the first and second legs, and at the same time to ensure the organization of VAR-related work, live broadcasting and the best service for the audience to watch the match.

The 2025/26 season will have a dense schedule of matches. Immediately after the 2024/25 National Super Cup (9.8), the clubs will enter a "marathon". The two teams at the bottom of the table will be relegated. The new regulations turn every point and every play into invaluable assets, forcing clubs to invest in depth.

The transfer market is therefore bustling even before the first “window” closes on September 14, 2025. The top priority of many coaches is to recruit tall central defenders and strikers who can create breakthroughs, in addition to hunting for foreign players to optimize registration slots for teams not participating in the AFC Champions League. Representatives participating in the Continental Cup are allowed to register 7 foreign players, but only 3 foreign players can play at the same time.

On June 28, 2026, the National Cup final will close the longest football season of the decade. But before thinking about glory, LPBank V.League 1-2025/26 needs to go through each round of testing. Six representatives from Ho Chi Minh City, two representatives from Hanoi, along with the leading flags with rich identities such as SLNA, HAGL or Nam Dinh will create a colorful carpet.

With new boundaries, new resources and new determination, Ho Chi Minh City football is no longer simply a "city football team", but has become a symbol of a megacity that is positioning itself on the Southeast Asian football map. LPBank V.League 1-2025/26 is the launching pad to affirm that value, where audiences look forward to fiery derby, managers expect record revenue and young players dream of reaching the continental level.

When the opening whistle blows, the new season will not only tell the story of 90 minutes on the field, but also recreate the integration journey of Vietnamese football: The aspiration to reach far, connect the community, spread the spirit of modern - standard - humane sports. And in that picture, the city named after Uncle Ho, with six warriors wearing six colors, is ready to write a new chapter of history for itself and for the V.League.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/san-sang-viet-nen-trang-su-moi-152673.html