On the morning of June 27, before the training session of the Vietnamese national team at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center, striker Nguyen Xuan Son shared with the media after being trusted by coach Kim Sang-sik to assign the important responsibility of vice-captain in the training camp to prepare for the ASEAN Cup 2026.
Participating in the national team's staff for the first time, the striker born in 1997 could not hide his emotion. He said: "When I played for youth teams in Brazil, I used to be the captain. But this is the first time I have been trusted to participate in the Vietnamese national team's staff. Honestly, I am very happy.
Nguyen Xuan Son affirmed that he does not feel pressured by the new role but sees it as motivation to contribute more to the team: "I am used to the pressure. Being in the staff of the Vietnamese team is a privilege for me. This is very special. I will try my best to help the team".
Aiming for the goal of defending the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship, Xuan Son emphasized that the success of the team is always more important than individual titles. He said: "I always want to score goals and aim for the Golden Boot title. But if I am the Golden Boot but the team does not win the championship, it does not have much meaning. The most important thing is still the championship cup. I want to successfully defend this title with the team".
After a period of injury treatment, the Nam Dinh striker said that he is gradually regaining his best form. "I just returned from a serious injury, so I need more time to reach my best condition. Currently, I feel very stable and will try to score goals, assist as well as complete the requirements set by the coaching staff," Xuan Son said.
In addition, the new vice-captain of the Vietnamese national team also sent words of encouragement to captain Do Duy Manh, who is in the process of recovering from injury. "I hope Duy Manh will return soon. He is a very important player of the national team and also a close friend of mine. I hope he continues to strive to return to play with the whole team soon," Xuan Son shared.
Assessing the two new faces, Ngo Dang Khoa and Nguyen Tai Loc, the 29-year-old striker believes that both are capable enough to compete for positions and contribute to the team. "Dang Khoa is a quality player and possesses many good qualities. I hope he will contribute a lot to the team and I will also try to help him integrate quickly with the whole team," Xuan Son said.
According to the plan, the Vietnamese national team will train in Hanoi until the end of July 1 before going to South Korea for training from July 2-14. During this time, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will play three friendly matches to review the force, assess the performance of the players and complete tactical plans before entering the journey to defend the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship.
