Top Vietnamese Soccer Clubs: The Teams Dominating the V.League
The V.League is the top professional football league in Vietnam. For sponsorship reasons, it is currently known as the LP Bank V.League 1. The league is overseen by the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) and contested by 14 clubs who play each other twice during a league season, one time at home, the other away.
Format of the League
After 26 games, the team with the most points is crowned champion for the season. The V.League champion gets to play in the AFC Champions League Two, the second tier continental club football competition organized by the Asian Football Confederation.
The bottom two teams on the league table by the end of the season are relegated to the Vietnam First Division while the third lowest placed team will face the third highest placed team in the First Division in a play-off game to determine who comes up or stays down.
Over the years, the V.League has become popular in the Asian region, entertaining the people, developing football talents and building the country’s football culture. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the top football clubs in the league. They are:
Hanoi FC – Powerhouse with a History of Success
Established in 2006 by the T&T Group, Hanoi FC is located in the Hanoi region. The team currently plays in the top division in Vietnam soccer, playing its home games at the Hang Day Stadium with a capacity to hold 22,000 people. The club used to be known as T&T Hanoi. It changed name to Hanoi T&T in 2010 before finally adopting its current name, Hanoi FC, in 2016.
Rise Through the Ranks
Hanoi FC rose through the Vietnamese football ranks quickly, winning promotions and establishing itself as an important team both on the domestic and the regional scene. The club has won a record of six V.League 1 titles, 3 Vietnamese Cups, and five Vietnamese Super Cups. In continental football, Hanoi FC reached the AFC Cup inter zone play off final in 2019 before losing narrowly to North Korean team 4.25 SC on away goals rule. That remains their best performance in a continental club competition till date.
Many prominfent Vietnamese footballers and managers have passed through the club, and some of their players have represented the Vietnam national football team. One of them is Nguyễn Quang Hải, who is not only one of Hanoi FC’s best ever players, but also one of the best players in Asia. He took to the pitch over 127 times for Hanoi FC between 2014 and 2022, scoring 31 goals. In 2018, he was nominated for the Best Footballer in Asia award — he was nominated again and won it in 2019. He has been named in the V1 Team of the Season 4 times while playing for Hanoi FC and won the league 3 times.
Ho Chi Minh City FC – A Fierce Competitor with Strong Support
The Ho Chi Minh City Football Club was founded in 1975, under the Saigon Port Corporation. The club was first known as the Saigon Port Football Club, a name under which it operated until 2008.
A serious financial problem almost led to the closure of Ho Chi Minh City Football Club in 2008. Officials of the Saigon Port Corporation announced they could no longer run the club due to limited funding from its primary sponsor, the Vietnam Steel Company. The result of this was a rebrand of the club into a new and more sustainable, professional model. It also brought more funding of 15 billion Vietnamese Dong.
Thus the club was officially renamed the Ho Chi Minh City Football Club in January 2009. This change was not without stiff opposition from fans loyal to the Saigon Port legacy. It was a tense period. There were upheavals that even went as far as resignations within the fan association.
As troublesome as the new identity was off the pitch, there was no reprieve for Ho Chi Minh City Football Club on the pitch. The club suffered relegation to Vietnamese Football League Second Division in 2009 and a last place finish in the First League in 2012.
But with the new investment and renewed focus, the team was re-energized and soon won a promotion back to the V.League in 2017. Management worked hard to build a rapport with the club fans by improving the match day experience. The fans became more in love with their team and the Ho Chi Minh City Football Club Fans Association was established. Since then, the club has continued to strengthen its place as one of Vietnam’s top teams.
National Representation
Ho Chi Minh City FC has also represented Vietnam soccer in continental competitions. In the AFC Champions League, the team reached the qualification round in the 2002–03 season. They managed to reach the preliminary round in 2020. In the AFC Cup, the club participated in the group stage in 2020 but they haven’t gone beyond that since then.
In national competitions, Ho Chi Minh City FC, under its former and current identities, won the South Vietnam National League (now known as V.League 1) five times. They also won the V.League 2 titles in 2004 and 2016. The team has won two Vietnamese Cups, and finished runner-up in three Vietnamese Super Cup finals.
Becamex Binh Duong – A Club with a Legacy of Trophies
Becamex Binh Duong is one of only two teams in Vietnam to maintain dual professional teams in both the V.League and First Division. Founded in Binh Phuoc in 1976, the club was first known as Binh Long Rubber Football Team.
The͏y ͏h͏a͏d early succe͏ss playin͏g in ͏the Vietna͏mese Second Division ͏in 199͏6. In 1997, the team g͏ained ͏promotion to the First Division a͏nd ͏wa͏s transferred to t͏he De͏partment of Physical Educat͏ion and Sports (TDTT) of ͏Binh Duong. That wa͏s whe͏n it was rebranded ͏as Binh Duong͏ Fo͏ot͏ball ͏Club. A͏fte͏r a str͏ong s͏t͏art, in the National Championships,͏ the team faced some challen͏ges relating͏ to player a͏vailabilit͏y in͏ t͏he͏ clo͏sing stag͏e͏s of the season and they ͏were ultimately relegat͏ed.
2002 was the start of a new era. Became͏x Company, ͏Binh Du͏ong ͏Television, and the Binh Duo͏ng Spor͏ts Department all came together͏ to form the ͏p͏ar͏tnership which created Binh Duong Football Jo͏int Stock ͏Compa͏n͏y.͏ This͏ ͏collaboration r͏einve͏nted th͏e͏ team into Becamex Binh Duong Footba͏ll Club͏, with Becamex C͏om͏pany a͏s it͏s pr͏imary sponsor. The club wa͏s again͏ quick͏ to prove its mettle, finishing second in t͏he 2003 Nati͏onal͏ Firs͏t Di͏vision ͏and earning themselves a spot in ͏the V-Leagu͏e af͏ter surpassing Thanh Ho͏a.͏
During the 2012 season, Becamex Binh Duong was the center of attention in the V-League 1 with its star-studded lineup but they struggled to string together consistently good performances, especially in the early stages. At some point, they were as high as third in the league but disciplinary issues, including the suspension of key goalkeeper Dinh Hoang La, set in and the team would eventually finish 6th under Coach Dang Tran Chinh.
Not to be deterred, the club entered the transfer market the following season and made bold moves, signing notable players such as Huynh Kesley Alves and young talent Sunday from Thanh Hoa.
Becamex has since gone on to establish themselves as one of Vietnam’s most successful soccer teams, winning multiple honors along the way. The club has claimed the V.League 1 championship title four times (2007, 2008, 2014, 2015), a period when they were the most dominant team in the league. Binh Duong also finished as runners-up twice and third once. They have also won the National Cup three times, and the Vietnam Football Super Cup an incredible four times.
Some of the greatest players to have played for the club are Argentina’s Gaston Molina, Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Duc, Brazil’s Neto Baiano, Nigeria’s Amaobi Uzowuru, and South Africa’s Philani, each of whom has contributed to the team’s success over the years. They currently play their home games at the Go Dau Stadium. The stadium can seat 18,250 football fans. The team is currently 4th in the V League 2024 table with 11 points. Interested fans can bet on the results of their matches using bookmakers like 1win app or similar platforms.
Song Lam Nghe An FC – A Club Known for Its Strong Academy
During the period when the French were colonial lords over the Vietnam region, the club Song Lam Nghe An was created. However, they remained largely dormant until 1973 when an amateur team was established under the Nghe Tinh Provincial Military Command. They competed in Division B, and following the establishment of the National Football Championship, the team moved ownership to the Nghe Tinh Provincial People’s Committee and was renamed the Song Lam Football Team.
Under Coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh in the 1980s, the club gained more recognition, playing with a distinct style and competing alongside Vietnam’s top teams. After the team became the Song Lam Football Team, it became a professional club under the Department of Physical Education and Sports in 1999. The team celebrated its first National Championship win in 2000 and won subsequent titles to announce itself as a mainstay in Vietnamese football. In 2017, despite a modest league campaign, Song Lam Nghe An won the Vietnamese Cup.
The club updated its logo and rebranded its identity in 2022. The team is well known for its academy, which has produced some bright talents for the league. Since establishment, they have played at the Vinh Stadium, which has a capacity of 12,000, and are currently managed in the V.League by Head coach Vietnam Phạm Anh Tuấn.
SHB Da Nang – A Consistent Contender with Passionate Fans
Da Nang Football Club was originally established as the Quang Nam-Da Nang Workers’ Football Team. The club has had a rich history in Vietnam soccer, winning the National Championships and finishing as runners-up three times during a period of 10 years.
However, a decline in fortunes led to a merger with the Da Nang Water Supply Football Team in 1997, when it rebranded as Da Nang FC. In 2001, the club was promoted to the professional league for the first time after finishing second in the First Division.
The club changed names again in 2008. It became SHB Da Nang after being sponsored by SHB Bank. On and off the pitch, the club was managed with more professionalism, and it succeeded. They won the V.League 1 championship in 1992, 2009, and 2012. They also have two Vietnamese Cup wins and are perhaps best known for their passionate fans.
The club has struggled recently. They went through a disappointing 2015 campaign, bounced back in 2016 to finish third in the V.League 1, thanks to important signings and a solid performance from their top scorer Merlo. Despite this, the team struggled again in 2018, and in 2023 the struggle continued, and as a result, they were relegated to V.League 2 after 22 years in the top flight.
Other Emerging Teams Making an Impact in the V.League
There are also other teams making their presence felt in Vietnamese soccer. Here are some of them:
Viettel FC
The Cong – Viettel Football Club, fondly known to its fans as The Cong or Viettel FC, was founded on September 23, 1954. Based in Hanoi, it is one of the most successful and widely supported football clubs in Vietnam, both for its successes and that of the Vietnam soccer team.
The club initially operated as Thể Công, representing the Vietnamese military, and became dominant in Northern Vietnam. It has won a record 13 national titles. This includes an incredible run of nine consecutive championships from 1971 to 1979. After Vietnam’s reunification, the club continued its success, finishing first in the V.League 1 six times and contributing many key players to the national team.
The Cong – Viettel’s traditional color is red, which earned the team the nickname Cơn lốc đỏ (The Red Tornado). Over the years, their rivalries have been notable, especially with Cong An Hanoi, formerly a police-run team. These matches are known as the “Hanoi Derby” or “Vietnamese Clasico.” This rivalry continues till date, with matches between Viettel, Hanoi FC, and the newly rebranded Cong An Hanoi. They are currently third in the V.League.
Than Quang Ninh
Originally formed as the Hong Quang Youth Football Team in 1956, Than Quang Ninh Football Club, has undergone multiple name changes and restructurings throughout its famed history.
After a number of mergers the club finally established itself in 1994 as Ha Long Workers’ Football Team. It later became Quang Ninh Workers’ Club in 1996. In 2014, the club won promotion to the V.League for the first time in their history.
They won their first trophies, the Vietnamese Cup and Vietnamese Super Cup in 2016. Than Quang Ninh also made a first appearance in the AFC Cup group stage in 2017 and came third in the V.League in 2019.
Unfortunately, serious financial problems caused a suspension of activities in 2021 for unpaid salaries and debts exceeding 70 billion VND. In 2022, FIFA, AFC, and VFF officially banned the club from participating in the V.League. It was a sad day for fans of the club and Vietnamese football in general.
The Future of Vietnamese Soccer Clubs and the V.League
The future of Vietnam soccer clubs and the V.League looks promising. The league has built up passionate fan bases and professionally run clubs, even contributing to the success of the Vietnam national football team games. With more investment in youth development, infrastructure development, rising corporate sponsorships, media coverage and favorable government support, the league will continue to grow.