On December 3, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) officially sent a document summoning player Nguyen Xuan Son to the Vietnam national team to prepare for the AFF Cup (new name is ASEAN Cup) 2024. Previously, the 27-year-old player had just been granted Vietnamese citizenship on October 15, 2024.
Nguyen Xuan Son, whose original name is Rafaelson, was born and raised in Brazil. He grew up at EC Vitoria (Brazilian Serie A, B), then moved to Naestved Boldklub (Danish 3rd division team) and Vegalta Sendai (J.League 1, Japan).
In December 2019, Xuan Son came to Vietnam to play football when he signed a contract with Nam Dinh club. Over the years, the player born in 1997 has gradually affirmed his talent, becoming the leading foreign striker in V.League.
In the 2023-2024 season, Nguyen Xuan Son won the Golden Boot with 31 goals - setting a record for the player with the most goals in a season. In addition, he received the best player and best goal awards many times.
According to statistics from Transfermarkt, Nguyen Xuan Son has played 100 matches in V.League, scoring 71 goals for Nam Dinh, SHB Da Nang and Quy Nhon Binh Dinh. He is highly regarded for his expertise with a height of 1m85 and a sharp goal-scoring ability.
With his performance, Nguyen Xuan Son is expected to bring a new breeze to the playing style of the Vietnamese team under coach Kim Sang-sik.
Besides, the appearance of the player born in 1997 may open a new chapter for naturalized players in Vietnam.
In the past, the Vietnamese team has called up naturalized players such as Phan Van Santos, Dinh Hoang La, Dinh Hoang Max and Huynh Kesley Alves.... However, the team's performance was not very positive, some people were involved in scandals, causing the call-up of naturalized players to receive mixed opinions from fans.
In recent years, Southeast Asian football has seen a boom in naturalization, notably in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Recently, the Cambodian national team's registration list also included 8 naturalized players.
