Vietnamese Diaspora Players Set to Highlight the 2026-27 V-League

Vietnam’s 2026-27 V-League season opens on September 4 with a growing group of Vietnamese diaspora players adding competition and new options for the national team.

Công An Hà Nội already had goalkeeper Nguyễn Filip from the Czech Republic, left-back Cao Pendant Quang Vinh and centre-back Nguyễn Adou Leygley Minh from France. The club has added right-back Kevin Phạm Ba this season. All except Kevin Phạm Ba currently hold Vietnamese nationality, and the three eligible players are expected to push for places ahead of Vietnam’s participation in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 at the end of September.

Công An Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh also has a strong diaspora contingent. Goalkeeper Lê Giang Patrik of Slovakia, midfielder Ngô Đăng Khoa of Australia and forward Williams Minh Hoàng of England have obtained Vietnamese citizenship. The club then brought in Belgium-born Lenn Minh Trần to strengthen its squad. He did not impress in the 2026 National Super Cup, but showed technical qualities and a modern footballing outlook that could prove promising in the league.

The influx extends beyond those two clubs. More than a dozen new diaspora players returned to Vietnam for trials, and nine have signed contracts. Hà Nội recruited French player Aymeric Faurand-Tournaire, a 2004-born forward who can also play on the right and has trained at several strong French academies and appeared for Ligue 2 clubs.

Defending runners-up Thể Công, Viettel signed Australian goalkeeper Lawrence Caruso, while SHB Đà Nẵng added Ireland-based Bryan Ly, a Manchester City academy product who can play in midfield or attack. Sông Lam Nghệ An brought in French midfielder Abdel-Amine Tran, also known as Trần Đức Vinh, who has impressed in preseason friendlies. Apart from Trường Tươi Đồng Nai and Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, every other V-League club has at least one Vietnamese diaspora player.