The situation occurred in the 30th minute of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship semi-final match on the evening of January 20 (Vietnam time), when player Xiang Yuwang (U23 China) saved the ball close to the touchline in the U23 Vietnam field.
Nguyen Hieu Minh rushed out to intercept and a strong collision occurred, unable to continue playing. The defender born in 2004 was then given first aid on the spot by the medical team, before being taken straight to the hospital by ambulance.
Examination results using specialized methods such as musculoskeletal ultrasound, X-rays and MRI determined that Nguyen Hieu Minh had a severed anterior cruciate ligament in the right knee. This is a serious injury, often requiring surgical intervention and a long recovery process.
After returning home, Nguyen Hieu Minh will be taken by the Vietnam Football Federation to the Vinmec Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine for consultation and agreement on treatment plans.
With anterior cruciate ligament injury, the normal recovery time is expected from 6 to 9 months, depending on the surgical process and functional recovery.
At the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals, Nguyen Hieu Minh was one of the pillars of the U23 Vietnam defense. The center-back wearing jersey number 4 started all 4 matches before getting injured, was once voted the Best Player of the opening match against U23 Jordan, and also scored a goal to seal a 2-0 victory for his team.
As of before the semi-final match, Nguyen Hieu Minh ranked second in terms of the number of most dangerous saves in the tournament with 36 times, only behind center-back Xiao Peng of U23 China (46 times).
Besides the case of Nguyen Hieu Minh, the U23 Vietnam defense will also face more difficulties when defender Pham Ly Duc cannot play in the third-place match due to having to serve a suspension after a direct red card in the semi-finals.
