The 2025 season closes with the championship belonging to Bien Phong after a victory over The Cong Tan Cang in the final, thereby continuing to affirm its number 1 position in the domestic arena. This is also the foundation for the army team to enter the 2026 season with the goal of defending their title.
In fact, Bien Phong's form was clearly shown at the Hoa Lu Cup 2026 when they won the championship with a perfect record. In the final, Bien Phong defeated LPB Ninh Binh 3-0, showing superiority in both organization and playing style.
With a balanced squad, diverse attacking ability and good physical foundation, Bien Phong continues to be the top candidate for the throne in this year's tournament.
However, behind them, the race is becoming more fierce. LPB Ninh Binh continues to show the position of a formidable "challenger" when winning the runner-up title at the Hoa Lu Cup. Notably, the appearance of Mongolian foreign player Batsuuri Battur - the main attacker over 1.9m tall helps this team significantly improve their attacking power.
However, the defeat in the final also shows that Ninh Binh still needs to improve their playing style and stability if they want to compete long-term.
One of the new highlights is Hanoi Club when winning 3rd place in the Hoa Lu Cup 2026. The energetic playing style and good organization help the Capital representative emerge as an interesting unknown this season.
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City Police, although only ranked 4th at the Hoa Lu Cup, still showed competitive potential. This team possesses a force with good expertise, rich physical strength and is not afraid of clashes. Going deep into the semi-finals and competing fairly with strong opponents shows that they can completely create surprises if they maintain stability.
In the bottom group, The Cong Tan Cang has not had the expected performance when they only ranked 5th at the Hoa Lu Cup. Compared to the runner-up position in the 2025 national championship, this is a sign that they need to quickly adjust if they do not want to be left behind in the race.
Similarly, the newcomer this season, Ho Chi Minh City, still has many problems in organizing the playing style and squad depth.
It can be seen that the Hoa Lu Cup has partly reflected the balance of power before the 2026 national championship.
Bien Phong maintains the champion's form, LPB Ninh Binh is fiercely chasing thanks to the addition of foreign players, while Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Police will be factors that can create breakthroughs.
Entering round 1, physical fitness and team rotation will play an important role when teams have to play with high density. Besides, the integration of foreign players, especially in ambitious teams, also directly affects the performance.
In the context of the gap between teams gradually narrowing, the men's content is predicted to no longer be Bien Phong's own "game". Opponents behind are ready to create pressure, even reverse the situation if they take advantage of opportunities well.
