VFF elevates football diplomacy to a new level
During its 2022–2026 term, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has progressively transformed international relationships into tangible resources for football development, notably through increasingly close ties with FIFA and a range of other partners around the world.
Access to Global Resources
Within the global football system, relations with FIFA are particularly important, as the organisation not only governs the game but also provides a range of financial and technical support programmes for its member associations.
In June 2026, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan held an important meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Miami, USA, on the sidelines of the FIFA Summit. In August 2026, the FIFA President and Secretary General Mattias Grafström visited Vietnam, held direct discussions with the VFF and attended the ASEAN Cup awards ceremony at My Dinh Stadium.
VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan signs a cooperation agreement with the President of the Qatar Football Association. Photo: VFF
High-level engagements of this kind also create opportunities for Vietnam to make more effective use of FIFA’s support programmes. Among them, FIFA Forward provides development funding to member associations for projects involving infrastructure, youth development and improved governance capacity. The Talent Development Scheme (TDS), meanwhile, is a long-term programme designed to identify and nurture young talent. Participating member associations receive support from FIFA in the form of technical experts, funding and training courses to develop their own player identification and youth development systems in line with their specific needs. In addition, initiatives promoting women’s football and grassroots football provide further tangible resources for domestic development.
During its ninth term, the VFF has also proactively expanded its bilateral cooperation network with football associations across Asia and around the world, gradually turning international relationships into concrete cooperation programmes that directly support the preparation of national teams.
Most recently, during his official trip to Japan for the 20th Asian Games, VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan met with the President of the Japan Football Association (JFA). The two sides agreed to arrange a friendly match between Vietnam and Japan, tentatively scheduled for 30 December at Panasonic Stadium in Osaka. The match would provide Vietnam with an opportunity to test itself against one of Asia’s strongest teams and prepare for the AFC Asian Cup 2027. Cooperation between the VFF and JFA began in 2015 and has continued to grow closer and more effective.
Expanding the Cooperation Network
Beyond men’s football, cooperation with other Asian partners has also created valuable opportunities for international competition for women’s and youth teams. VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan has recently accepted an invitation from the President of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) for Vietnam’s U19 team to participate in an international friendly tournament in China in December.
In 2025 and 2026, Vietnam’s U16, U17, U19, U20 and U23 teams, along with the women’s futsal team and the women’s national team, also accepted invitations to participate in friendly tournaments and training camps in China, gaining valuable international match experience.
The President of the Chinese Football Association (left) has provided significant support for Vietnamese football. Photo: VFF
During its ninth term, the VFF has also established effective partnerships with football organisations in South Korea, Qatar, Germany and Saudi Arabia, as well as major football stakeholders such as La Liga and the Bundesliga. These partnerships focus on youth development, improving coaching standards and promoting women’s football. Cooperation with South Korea and Qatar has also included short-term training camps and friendly matches for the senior national team and youth teams.
The VFF has also made effective use of programmes offered by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), including financial assistance and investment programmes to upgrade pitches and football facilities. Successfully hosting the ASEAN Football Federation Congress has further demonstrated the VFF’s capacity to organise international events.
As the VFF enters the 2026–2030 period, the key challenge will be to maintain this proactive approach. This means not only sustaining existing partnerships but also translating each international relationship into a concrete cooperation programme with measurable technical outcomes. The value of football diplomacy lies not in the number of high-level meetings held, but in what those meetings can deliver for players, coaches and the development of Vietnamese football as a whole.
