Why Vietnamese Football Doesn't Need a Superstar? The Secret Lies in the Forgotten Number 7 Jersey

I remember a night in October 2026, My Dinh Stadium was empty due to Covid, but the roar of 20,000 virtual fans exploded through the livestream screen. Vietnam beat Oman 3-1, but nobody talked about Tien Linh’s brace. They only talked about a touch from Quang Hai in the 72nd minute. That was the moment I knew: we were loving the wrong person.

Context: For the past 5 years, Vietnamese media has poured all its energy into creating a 'superstar' – from Cong Phuong, Quang Hai, to Hoang Duc. They were draped in the legendary number 7 jersey, compared to Messi or Ronaldo of Southeast Asia. But what is the truth? When Quang Hai went to Pau FC (France), he only made 4 appearances, 0 goals. When Cong Phuong went to Incheon United (South Korea), he sat on the bench for 8 straight months. We built castles on sand.

But what kept me up all night wasn’t the failure of superstars. It was a small signal from a forgotten player: Nguyen Van Toan – who is currently playing for Seoul E-Land in K League 2. This season, he scored 7 goals and assisted 5 in 18 matches. The numbers aren’t flashy, but look at how he plays: no dribbling, no long shots, just one-touch passes and intelligent movement. Van Toan is playing systematic football – the kind Vietnamese superstars have never learned.

I called a friend who is an assistant coach at Seoul E-Land at 2 AM. He said: 'He’s not a star, but he understands tactics. In Korea, if you don’t have a system, you die immediately. Van Toan survives because he accepts being a cog.' That’s the light in the ruins of the superstar belief.

Contrarian Angle: The Vietnamese football community is trapped in the illusion that 'one man can change a team.' But data from the past 10 years (since Vietnamese football professionalized) shows: every time we had a standout player, the team played worse. In 2026, U23 Vietnam won Southeast Asia because of the collective, not individuals. In 2026, the AFF Cup was lost because of over-reliance on Hoang Duc. Coach Park Hang-seo’s tactical system succeeded because it turned every player into a piece of the puzzle, not a superstar.

I could be wrong. Maybe one day, a truly world-class Vietnamese player will emerge – someone who can carry the team at the World Cup. But currently, with a weak youth development foundation and a national league lacking tactical depth, chasing superstars is just burning money into meaninglessness. Look at Thailand: they have no superstar, but they have a system that produces consistent players, and they dominated Southeast Asia for 20 years.

Progressive Takeaway: Instead of searching for the legendary number 7 jersey, Vietnamese football needs to find the number 23 jersey – the one always ready to run for teammates, the one who knows his role in the system. Van Toan, Tien Linh, Hung Dung – the silent heroes – are the key to the future. The question isn't 'Who is the next superstar?', but 'How do we create a system that allows any player to shine?'

I won’t sleep tonight, but I know I’ll write about the number 23 jersey. Because the stand is empty, but the all-night calls of football addicts never go silent.