At the meeting, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan cordially inquired about Nguyen Hieu Minh's health condition, and encouraged the players to maintain their spirit, rest assured of treatment and focus on recovery. VFF President affirmed that the Federation will create the best medical, professional and regime conditions for Hieu Minh to recover soon, return to competition and continue to contribute to the national team as well as the managing club. On this occasion, VFF leaders also presented gifts of encouragement, sending their belief in the strong return of the young center-back.
Nguyen Hieu Minh was born in 2004 in Hanoi, and is considered one of the important factors of the U23 Vietnam team. Under coach Kim Sang-sik, the 1m84 tall center-back was regularly trusted to start in 2025, contributing to helping U23 Vietnam win the U23 Southeast Asian Championship and the SEA Games 33 gold medal.
At the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals, Hieu Minh continued to play a key role in the defense when he started all 4 matches before the time of injury. He made an important contribution to helping U23 Vietnam maintain solidity in the lower line. In the opening match against U23 Jordan 2-0, Hieu Minh was voted the Player of the Match and scored the decisive goal. According to AFC statistics before the semi-finals, this center-back ranked 2nd in terms of the most dangerous saves in the tournament with 36 times, only after Xiao Peng of U23 China (46 times). Along with Pham Ly Duc and Nguyen Nhat Minh, Hieu Minh formed a stable central defender trio, being the fulcrum to help U23 Vietnam advance to the semi-finals.
According to the plan, after returning to the country, Nguyen Hieu Minh will be taken by the VFF to the Vinmec Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine to have a consultation and agree on a treatment regimen. With the anterior cruciate ligament rupture injury, the recovery time is expected to last from 6 to 9 months. The VFF will continue to closely monitor and provide maximum support so that the young center-back of U23 Vietnam can return to the field soon in the best condition.
