The list is consistent
On November 6, the Organizing Committee of the 2025 Vietnam Golden Ball officially launched an annual award to honor players who have made outstanding contributions to Vietnamese football. The nomination list for each category has been announced, marking the early stages of the voting process before collecting votes. The award ceremony is expected to take place in early 2026.
This year's list brings together many typical faces of men's and women's football. In the Men's Golden Ball category, besides familiar names such as Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Tien Linh, Nguyen Quang Hai, the appearance of defender Nguyen Van Vi (Nam Dinh) created an interesting highlight.
Talking to Lao Dong, former player Nguyen Tuan Phong said: "This year is one of the years with the most unpredictable list of Golden Ball nominations. In previous years, when there was a nomination list, there were usually a few prominent names in mind. But this year's list is really unpredictable because the players' performance is quite even. The teams also play few matches, mainly in the qualifying round, so it is difficult for anyone to stand out.
According to Mr. Tuan Phong, the uniformity makes the election more difficult, when there are no truly outstanding players at both club and national team level. This forces experts to closely observe the year-end competition stage before voting.
Bright spot from the full-back position
In this year's nomination list, Nguyen Van Vi is considered a special case. He is not a typical attacking player or goalkeeper, but he impresses with his effectiveness and perseverance in the club and national team jersey.
For me, besides Hoang Duc, Tien Linh and Quang Hai, there is another name that I find difficult to win the Golden Ball but deserves to be in the top 3 - that is Van Vi. Last season, Van Vi won the V.League with Nam Dinh.
After the Vietnam National Team won the ASEAN Cup, he became a key factor and scored 4 goals in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers and friendly matches. As a full-back who scored 4 goals and left a clear mark, Van Vi is completely worthy of being in the top 3, the former national team player commented.
"Hoang Duc last year only played in the First Division, so it cannot be directly compared to the V.League. Tien Linh scored a stable goal in the domestic tournament but it was still a bit difficult to win the Golden Ball. Quang Hai in the national team was quite quiet, but left his mark in the Asian arena with Hanoi Police. This year is really unpredictable, maybe we have to wait until the end of the voting deadline to see how the players are doing, the former player born in 1981 added.
Waiting for the SEA Games to have a comprehensive view
One factor emphasized by Mr. Nguyen Tuan Phong is the role of the 33rd SEA Games, taking place at the end of 2025. This could become an important milestone in evaluating the Ballon d'Or candidate.
I think the achievements of the national team are still the most important factor. Another point is that this year there are SEA Games. If we wait for the SEA Games and evaluate, there will be more options. In 2003, Van Quyen won the Golden Ball thanks to her success in the U23 team, not the national team, said Mr. Phong.
According to him, the SEA Games is not only a playground for young players but also an opportunity for experts to have a more comprehensive view of the next generation. If Dinh Bac, Hieu Minh or Thanh Nhan shine and bring home achievements, they can completely compete fairly with their seniors.
TheEA Games are very important, but we still have to wait. Young players like Bac, Minh, Nhan who want to enter the top also need more time. Currently, they cannot outperform their seniors in the national team. I think we should wait for the SEA Games to end, then the assessment of the Ballon d'Or will be more objective and easier," the 44-year-old former player concluded.
