Prime Minister visits top Brazilian football club, promotes cooperation with Vietnam
From July 4 to 8, 2025, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, accompanied by his spouse and a Vietnamese delegation, visited Rio de Janeiro to attend the 2025 BRICS+ Summit and conduct bilateral activities in the Federative Republic of Brazil, at the invitation of Brazilian President Lula da Silva. Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) President Trần Quốc Tuấn joined the working delegation and participated in several activities alongside the Prime Minister during the visit to Brazil.
06/07/2025 11:46:23
Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and the delegation witness the signing ceremony of a 3-year youth player development agreement between Ho Chi Minh City Football Club and Gremio Football Club – Photo: VGP/Nhật Bắc.
On the afternoon of July 5 (local time), in Rio de Janeiro, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and the accompanying delegates witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements across various sectors — notably, a football cooperation agreement was also signed. Specifically, Ho Chi Minh City Football Club and Gremio Football Club reached an agreement on a 3-year youth player development program. Under the agreement, Gremio FC is expected to receive 18 young players aged 15 to 17 from Ho Chi Minh City FC each year for long-term training.
Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his spouse visit Vasco da Gama Football Club – Photo: VGP/Đình Bắc.
Also on the afternoon of July 5, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his spouse visited Vasco da Gama Football Club in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During the visit, the Prime Minister proposed that Brazil and Vasco da Gama enhance cooperation activities to support the development of Vietnamese football. This includes training and developing players—particularly improving physical fitness and skills—strengthening management capacity, brand development, mobilizing and managing resources, organizing competitions, as well as continuing to send Brazilian players to compete in Vietnam and facilitating opportunities for Vietnamese players to play in Brazil.
Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his spouse were presented with a Vasco da Gama jersey by the club’s representatives, and in return, gifted the club a jersey of Hanoi Police Football Club – Photo: VGP/Nhật Bắc.
These activities are a concrete step in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on football cooperation between President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Trần Quốc Tuấn and Ambassador Marco Farani — representative of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) — which was agreed upon on March 28, 2025. The MoU signing ceremony took place during the State visit to Vietnam by President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and was witnessed by Vietnamese State President Lương Cường and the Brazilian President.
The MoU between VFF and CBF is valid for three years from the date of signing and will be automatically extended for an additional two years. Under the agreement, both federations are committed to strengthening cooperation in various areas to promote the development of football in both Vietnam and Brazil. Specifically, the two sides will collaborate to organize regional and international football meetings and conferences; exchange experts, coaches, and teams at all levels; and share experiences in the management and organization of professional tournaments.
Additionally, the MoU outlines support for national teams of both countries in training camps and friendly matches, as well as creating opportunities for youth teams (U21 and below) to participate in international tournaments. The cooperation programs also include knowledge exchange in sports medicine, rehabilitation, and football facility management.
The signing of this agreement marks a significant step forward in sports cooperation between Vietnam and Brazil in general — and between the football communities of both nations in particular — promising to open up new opportunities for the growth of football in both countries in the near future.
Earlier, on December 18, 2024, VFF President Trần Quốc Tuấn hosted Brazilian Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. Marco Farani, at the VFF headquarters. During the meeting, Ambassador Farani reaffirmed his commitment to acting as a bridge for football cooperation between the two countries and expressed readiness to support training camps and friendly matches for the Vietnamese national team in Brazil. Both sides also agreed on various cooperation plans between Vietnamese and Brazilian football, paving the way for Vietnam’s youth and senior men’s and women’s national teams to gain valuable experience from one of the world’s leading footballing nations.
