V.LEAGUE AWARDS 2026: Celebrating 25 Years of Professional Football in Vietnam

After 25 years of development and growth, professional football in Vietnam has established a solid foundation in technical expertise, organizational structure, governance, and commercial value. The professional leagues are not only highly competitive arenas among clubs but also serve as a central pillar in the national football ecosystem, making an important contribution to the training and development of high-quality human resources for the national teams.

Entering a new phase of development, Vietnamese professional football aims to further enhance the quality of its competitions, build a more professional, transparent, and attractive playing environment; while accelerating the application of technology, improving governance efficiency, and promoting sustainable development, gradually affirming its position in the region and on the international stage.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Trần Anh Tú, Vice President of the Vietnam Football Federation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of VPF Company, emphasized: “Over 25 years of formation and development, professional football in Vietnam has continuously innovated, gradually affirming its position while improving technical quality, organizational work, and commercial value. The achievements we see today are the result of the persistent efforts of many generations of football practitioners, together with the support of governing bodies, partners, sponsors, and fans. In the new phase, Vietnamese professional football will continue to strongly reform, building a solid foundation for long-term development.”

The 2025/26 season recorded stability in organizational work, creating favourable conditions for clubs to proactively develop their plans. The technical quality of the competitions improved significantly, with highly competitive title races in both the top group and the relegation zone, as league standings continuously shifted until the final rounds. The national professional football competitions are increasingly affirming their strong appeal, becoming an indispensable source of entertainment and a symbol of pride and community cohesion across all regions of the country.

One of the most notable highlights was the increasingly effective and stable application of VAR technology, moving toward operational self-sufficiency. VAR was deployed across all matches of the LPBank V.League 1 2025/26 season (except for the final two rounds played simultaneously), as well as from the quarter-final stage of the LPBank Securities National Cup 2025/26 and in 10 key matches of the Golden Star Beer National First Division 2025/26. These efforts contribute to enhancing transparency, accuracy in officiating, and the gradual completion of a more professional competition system.

V.League Awards 2026, with the message “Honouring Contributions – Shaping the Future”, is a special occasion to recognise outstanding efforts, dedication, and achievements after a highly emotional season. It also marks a meaningful milestone reflecting on the 25-year journey of professional football in Vietnam since its inaugural 2000/01 season, thereby creating momentum to move forward, reach new goals, and integrate more deeply with global football.

AWARD CATEGORIES FOR THE 2025/26 NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL SEASON: