FIFA President’s message
Dear Dr. Tran Quoc Tuan
Dear members of the Vietnam Football Federation, dear friends
I am delighted to be able to address you at this Congress as you prepare to elect a new President for the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).
I would like to congratulate Vietnamese football on the great progress you have made in the past few years, culminating in qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 — the first time that your beautiful country will be represented at either a men’s or women’s World Cup.
As you know, we have expanded the FIFA Women’s World Cup from 24 to 32 teams, and we did this precisely so that countries such as Vietnam can have a chance to join the party.
I hope more countries can follow Vietnam’s example and help us accelerate the growth of women’s football and make our sport truly global – two of the key aims of our Vision.
I have also noticed an improvement in the performances of the men’s national team which reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 on only your second appearance at the finals.
You also reached the final round of the Asian qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and the round of 16 of the men’s Futsal World Cup in Lithuania last year.
I am aware that these performances did not just happen by accident but are the result of the great work which has been done over the past few years. You have understood the importance of serious work, passion, commitment and of giving every talent a chance.
You have put funds from the FIFA Forward programme to excellent use, such as upgrading and renovating the VFF National Youth Training Centre. You have improved the attractiveness of professional football competitions in Vietnam and increased the quality of youth competitions. By organising international youth tournaments, you have given the players more international exposure. Finally, you have recognised the importance of coaching education.
Dear friends, I am sure that these efforts will continue to bear fruit and that this is only the start of a very bright future for Vietnamese football. I wish you the best of luck with your Congress and I look forward to seeing you soon.
