Vietnam's Young Footballers: Keep Them or Let Them Go?

Hook: On a July afternoon in 2026, at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center, I watched a 16-year-old boy practicing free kicks. His name is Nguyen Van A (name changed), a highly rated young talent. After each shot, he looked toward the fence where his mother stood, smiling. I remembered that moment when I read the news about a Thai club wanting to sign him. His name might be misspelled in foreign media, but that matters less than the question: should we let him go? Context: After the historic success of Vietnam's U23 team at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, Vietnamese football entered a new phase. Many young players like Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Cong Phuong, and Doan Van Hau began to attract attention from foreign clubs. However, this wave of going abroad also raises questions about the sustainable development of domestic football. V-League remains the top league, but the quality of youth training and playing opportunities for young players still have many limitations. Meanwhile, foreign clubs, especially from Thailand, Japan, and South Korea, are increasingly interested in Vietnam's young talent pool. Core: Based on my experience following matches and training sessions, I observe that the development of young Vietnamese players depends on three main factors: training environment, playing opportunities, and family support. Over the past three years, I have witnessed many young talents flourish in V-League but also many stagnate due to lack of competition. Data from VangBong.vn shows that only about 15% of youth academy graduates can stay in the first team after two years. Meanwhile, this rate in Thailand is 30%. This indicates that the issue is not about going abroad or not, but about the quality of training and how we manage their careers. Contrarian: Many believe that young players should stay in V-League to gain more playing time and develop. But I think the opposite. The current V-League environment, with performance pressure and reliance on foreign players, is not truly ideal for young player development. If a young player can go abroad, even to a second-tier league in Japan or South Korea, they will access a more professional environment, from nutrition, fitness to tactics. I have seen many cases of young Vietnamese players going abroad and returning with remarkable improvement. Nguyen Cong Phuong is an example; despite not being hugely successful, he learned a lot from the Korean football environment. Takeaway: The question is not 'keep them or let them go', but 'are we ready to change our training and management methods to produce more quality players'. If we keep young players in an environment that lacks challenges, they cannot reach their full potential. Conversely, if we facilitate their departure and have a clear career development plan, they will return with valuable experiences. Vietnamese football needs a long-term strategy, not emotional decisions. The rhythm of the match is the only thing that cannot pretend, and we need to listen to the pulse of sustainable development.