From Asian Cup to ASEAN Cup
ASEAN Cup 2026 is not Nguyen Dinh Bac's first major tournament with the Vietnamese national team. 3 years ago, in the rejuvenation of the squad, coach Philippe Troussier gave the opportunity to start for the striker from Nghe An.
At the age of 19, Dinh Bac had the opportunity to face Japan, Iraq and Indonesia. Even against the team from the land of the rising sun, the player born in 2004 scored a very beautiful goal for his home team.
However, at that time, Dinh Bac only stopped at the phenomenon level. The following months witnessed ups and downs and hardships for the young player. At one point, many people thought that Dinh Bac's career would soon blossom and die out, when he had to go down to the Quang Nam reserve team.
The striker from Nghe An will only truly return in the second half of 2025. The journey from the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship finals, SEA Games 33 and especially the 2026 U23 Asian Championship finals has brought Dinh Bac back. He scores goals, assists and becomes a key factor in 2 regional gold medals and a continental bronze medal.
Fans no longer have prejudices about Dinh Bac. Instead, they believe and expect him to become a big star to succeed Vietnamese football, after Hong Son, Cong Vinh or Quang Hai.
Impressive scoring performance once helped Dinh Bac go down in history with the title of U23 Asian Top Scorer 2026 and be among the top domestic top scorers in the V.League 2025-2026.
Dinh Bac's sublimation was present right in the sprint phase, helping Hanoi Police Club finish with the championship. He received the title of Best Young Player of the season, as well as being included in the list of Vietnamese national team for ASEAN Cup 2026 by coach Kim Sang-sik.
For the first time in his career, Dinh Bac participated in an official tournament with the Vietnamese team in the regional arena. Unlike 3 years ago, this is a front that Vietnam has high ambitions for. This time, Dinh Bac is a pillar, playing the main role in the journey towards the championship of the home team.
Affirm value
A week after joining the Vietnamese national team, Dinh Bac received good news surrounding the numbers. Transfermarkt values him at 400,000 Euros - a figure equal to captain Nguyen Quang Hai and much higher than the big brothers in the national team.
Faced with impressive performance lasting nearly 1 year, Dinh Bac is highly appreciated by domestic and international experts. That is also the reason why Hanoi Police Club is determined to keep him until 2029, along with a signing contract with a signing bonus of over 1 million USD.
Now is the time for Dinh Bac to further affirm his position in the Vietnamese national team, with the main stage being the ASEAN Cup 2026.
Currently, the national team's attack line has up to 8 faces. In addition to Dinh Bac, coach Kim Sang-sik also includes Nguyen Xuan Son, Nguyen Tai Loc (Geovane), Do Hoang Hen, Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong, Nguyen Hai Long, Khuat Van Khang or Pham Gia Hung.
However, even when the national team strengthens naturalized players, Dinh Bac is still assessed as capable enough to compete for the left-back position in the "three-stroke squad".
In addition to speed and good handling from the first touch, Dinh Bac also possesses other skills. He can perform curves that twist the flanks of the full-back, before making crosses or finishing himself. Performing well with both feet brings Dinh Bac many decisions about situations.
This is also a plus point enough for Dinh Bac to compete for a starting spot as well as shine at the upcoming ASEAN Cup 2026.
