V-League 2026-27 set for record influx of new foreign players

Vietnam’s top football league is opening its new season with an unusually large wave of overseas recruits. The 2026-27 V-League begins on Sept. 4, and about 70% of the new foreign players are set to play in Vietnam for the first time.

The main rule change allows every club to register up to four foreign players and use all four on the pitch simultaneously, one more than last season. Hanoi Police, Ho Chi Minh City Police and The Cong-Viettel, which will also compete in Southeast Asian and Asian tournaments, can register up to seven foreign players. They remain limited to four at a time in V-League matches.

The registration window remains open until Sept. 30, before the third round, so several clubs have not yet filled all their foreign-player slots. They want more time to assess players during the opening two matches. Even so, 12 of the 14 clubs have signed newcomers who had not previously played in Vietnam. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City Police, Hoang Anh Gia Lai and newcomers Truong Tuoi Dong Nai have replaced their entire foreign contingents.

Truong Tuoi Dong Nai, promoted after winning the second-tier championship, released Alex Sandro after his 10-goal season and chose four new foreign players. Coach Nguyen Viet Thang also turned to European players instead of the Brazilian recruits more familiar to the club. Ho Chi Minh City Police have brought in six foreign players after releasing all four from last season, while Hanoi Police added three despite already having a strong squad.

The Cong-Viettel signed nine foreign players, including four newcomers, as it targets the league title and the AFC Champions League Two. Hoang Anh Gia Lai brought in four new Brazilians, and SHB Da Nang replaced three of its four foreign players after struggling to avoid relegation last season. Among the newcomers are four former World Cup players, including Australia striker Jason Cummings, whose transfer-market valuation is listed at 650,000 euros.