Sharing after the awards gala on the evening of December 26th in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoang Duc said: "My emotions at this time are very nervous and special, because this is the 3rd time I have won this noble title.
Each individual or collective award brings me joy, because it is the result of the efforts over the past year, not only of myself but also of the Ninh Binh club as well as the brothers on the national team".
Notably, Hoang Duc paid special attention to Nguyen Dinh Bac - the winner of the men's Silver Ball 2025: "Dinh Bac is a good and very promising player. In the middle of the year, Bac and U23 Vietnam won the Southeast Asian championship, and at the end of the year they will continue to win the SEA Games gold medal. I wish Bac and U23 Vietnam at the upcoming Asian tournament will play really strongly and perform well.
The midfielder born in 1998 also admitted to being surprised when honored in the Most Favorite Player category: "When my name was announced, I was really surprised because I received a lot of love from fans over the past time.
I would like to thank the fans who have always loved, supported and hoped to continue to receive that companionship in the coming time, not only for myself but also for the entire Ninh Binh team and the Vietnamese national team.
According to Hoang Duc, individual awards are motivation for him to continue to improve himself: "This title helps me have more motivation to cultivate and try harder, towards 2026 with better preparation and more dedication to the club as well as the national team.
When asked about Thanh Luong's ability to surpass the record of 4 Golden Balls, Hoang Duc also affirmed his views on the value of titles: "This is an individual title, but for me, collective success is still the most important thing. Thanh Luong has always been my idol in Vietnam and a role model for me to follow.
