List of Vietnam international footballers born outside Vietnam
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{{Use dmy dates|date = March 2020}}
This is a list of footballers who has represented the Vietnam national football team in international football and were born outside of Vietnam.
The following players:
- have one parent or grandparent who was born in Vietnam.
- were born outside Vietnam or were born in Vietnam but went abroad since during their childhood.
This list includes players who have dual citizenship with Vietnam and/or have become naturalized Vietnamese citizens. The players are ordered per modern-day country of birth; if the country at the time of birth differs from the current, this is indicated with a subsection.
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List of international players
File:Huynh Kesley Alves.jpg|Huỳnh Kesley Alves was one of the first naturalized players to represent Vietnam.
File:Đặng Văn Lâm 20191201 (cropped).jpg|Đặng Văn Lâm made more than 40 appearances for Vietnam since his debut in 2015.
File:Nguyen Filip in 2025.png|Nguyễn Filip had played for Vietnam since January 2024.
File:Nguyen Xuan Son vs Singapore 2024.png|In 2024, Nguyễn Xuân Son became the first naturalized player without Vietnamese heritage to play for the team since 2009.
File:Viktor Lê 2024.jpg|Lê Khắc Viktor appeared for Vietnam U23 in 2025.
Từ Như Hiển was one of the first footballers born outside Vietnam to represent the latter. Born in New Caledonia, Hiển repartriated in 1963 and made his debut for North Vietnam national team in 1965 and played for the team until the 1970s.{{Cite web |date=17 August 2023 |title=Đội tuyển Công an Hà Nội và cái duyên với những Việt kiều |url=https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/doi-tuyen-cong-an-ha-noi-va-cai-duyen-voi-nhung-viet-kieu-i704024/ |website=cand.com |language=vi}}{{cite web |last=Phạm |first=Trần Oánh |date=15 September 2023 |title=Vĩnh biệt huyền thoại bóng đá Từ Như Hiển |trans-title=Farewell to football legend Từ Như Hiển |url=https://danviet.vn/vinh-biet-huyen-thoai-bong-da-tu-nhu-hien-20230915230237579.htm |publisher=Dân Việt |language=vi}} However, since North Vietnam wasn't a member of FIFA and the AFC at the time, Hiển's records with the team weren't officially recognized by these organisations.
List of players born abroad that represented North Vietnam or South Vietnam:
| class="wikitable sortable"
!style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Name !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Birthyear !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Place of birth !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="center" valign="center" |National career !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="center" valign="center" |Represented |
| Hoàng Ngọc Minh
| align="center"|1932 | {{Flag|Laos}} (Thakhek) | align="center"|1958–1960 |align="center"|{{fb|VNO}} |
| Từ Như Thành
| align="center"|1943 | {{Flag|New Caledonia}} (New Caledonia) | align="center"|196?–196? |align="center"|{{fb|VNO}} |
| Từ Như Hiển
| align="center"|1945 | {{Flag|New Caledonia}} (New Caledonia) | align="center"|1965–197? |align="center"|{{fb|VNO}} |
| Đỗ Cẩu
| align="center"|1946 | {{Flag|Cambodia}} (Phnom Penh) | align="center"|1972–1975 |align="center"|{{fb|VSO}} |
| Vương Tiến Dũng
| align="center"|1952 | {{Flag|Thailand}} (Nong Khai) | align="center"|196?–197? |align="center"|{{fb|VNO}} |
Since the reunified Vietnam national football team rejoined the international stage in 1991, the players born abroad with Vietnamese heritage, referred as the Việt kiều were always considered as an important part of team as many of them trained and played in countries where football is more developed than in Vietnam. The most notable players are Russian-born goalkeeper Đặng Văn Lâm, who contributed in Vietnam's successful 2018 AFF Championship and 2019 AFC Asian Cup campaign; and goalkeeper Nguyễn Filip, who started for Vietnam at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.{{Cite web |last1=Bảo |first1=Tiểu |last2=Lao |first2=Giang |date=19 February 2022 |title=Cần cú hích đúng cho lộ trình nhập tịch |trans-title=Need the right push for the naturalization route |url=https://thanhnien.vn/can-cu-hich-dung-cho-lo-trinh-nhap-tich-post1430949.html |access-date=25 August 2022 |website=Thanh Niên |language=vi |archive-date=18 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818161649/https://thanhnien.vn/can-cu-hich-dung-cho-lo-trinh-nhap-tich-post1430949.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last1=Duy |first1=Nhật |last2=Quỳnh |first2=Hoàng |date=20 February 2022 |title=Tài năng Việt kiều: Khi nào có thể nhập tịch cho cầu thủ bóng đá? |trans-title=Talented overseas Vietnamese: When can a football player be naturalized? |url=https://thanhnien.vn/tai-nang-viet-kieu-khi-nao-co-the-nhap-tich-cho-cau-thu-bong-da-post1431198.html |access-date=25 August 2022 |website=Thanh Niên |language=vi |archive-date=18 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818161650/https://thanhnien.vn/tai-nang-viet-kieu-khi-nao-co-the-nhap-tich-cho-cau-thu-bong-da-post1431198.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Hung |first=Dong |date=18 November 2021 |title=Đội tuyển Việt Nam: để chơi tầm châu lục cần có thêm cầu thủ nhập tịch |trans-title=Vietnam team: to play on the continental level, more naturalized players are needed |url=https://kinhtedothi.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-de-choi-tam-chau-luc-can-co-them-cau-thu-nhap-tich.html |access-date=25 August 2022 |website=Kinh tế đô thị |language=vi |archive-date=27 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927022552/https://kinhtedothi.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-de-choi-tam-chau-luc-can-co-them-cau-thu-nhap-tich.html |url-status=live }} During a short period between 2008 and 2009, the Vietnam Football Federation allowed naturalized players without Vietnamese heritage to represent the country but reverted this decision shortly after, in order to "preserve national identity" in the team.{{cite web |last=Thuỳ Anh |first= |date=17 June 2017 |title=VFF lên tiếng việc tuyển Việt Nam không gọi cầu thủ nhập tịch |trans-title=VFF speaks about Vietnam not calling up naturalized players |url=https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/vff-len-tieng-viec-tuyen-viet-nam-khong-goi-cau-thu-nhap-tich-20170617003313734.htm |publisher=Dân Trí |language=vi}}{{cite web |last=Nhật Duy |date=14 May 2019 |title=VFF nói 'không' với việc gọi cầu thủ nhập tịch lên tuyển Việt Nam |trans-title=VFF says “no” about calling up naturalized players to the Vietnamese national team |url=https://thanhnien.vn/vff-noi-khong-voi-viec-goi-cau-thu-nhap-tich-len-tuyen-viet-nam-1851343119.htm |publisher=Thanh Niên |language=vi}}{{cite web |last=Minh Phong |date=14 September 2024 |title=Chuyện cầu thủ nhập tịch ở đội tuyển Việt Nam |trans-title=The issue of naturalization in the Vietnamese national team |url=https://laodong.vn/bong-da/chuyen-cau-thu-nhap-tich-o-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-1394052.ldo |publisher=Lao Động |language=vi}}
The list below includes players who represented the Vietnam national football team but were not born in the country. These players can have dual citizenship with Vietnam and/or have become naturalised Vietnamese citizens. The players are ordered per their national team debut.
{{updated|5 January 2025}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
!style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |No. !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Name !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Birthyear !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Place of birth !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Vietnamese ancestry !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="center" valign="center" |National career !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="center" valign="center" |Caps !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="center" valign="center" |Goals |
| align="center"|1
| align="center"|1972 | {{Flag|Cambodia}} (Phnom Penh) | align="center"|Maternal | align="center"|1995–1999 | align="center"|8 | align="center"|0 |
| align="center"|2
| align="center"|1977 | {{Flag|Brazil}} (Rio de Janeiro) | align="center"|None (Naturalized) | align="center"|2008–2009 | align="center"|2 | align="center"|0 |
| align="center"|3
| align="center"|1979 | {{Flag|Ukraine}}{{Efn|At the time part of the {{USSR}}|name=USSR}} (Kyiv) | align="center"|None (Naturalized) | align="center"|2009 | align="center"|1 | align="center"|0 |
| align="center"|4
| align="center"|1986 | {{Flag|Nigeria}} (Abuja) | align="center"|None (Naturalized) | align="center"|2009 | align="center"|1 | align="center"|0 |
| align="center"|5
| align="center"|1981 | {{Flag|Brazil}} (Palmeiras) | align="center"|None (Naturalized) | align="center"|2009 | align="center"|1 | align="center"|0 |
| align="center"|6
| align="center"|1989 | {{Flag|Czech Republic}}{{Efn|At the time part of {{TCH}}|name=TCH}} (Litvínov) | align="center"|Paternal | align="center"|2013 | align="center"|2 | align="center"|0 |
| align="center"|7
| align="center"|1993 | {{Flag|Russia}} (Moscow) | align="center"|Paternal | align="center"|2015–present | align="center"|44 | align="center"|0 |
| align="center"|8
| align="center"|1994 | {{Flag|Germany}} (Grimma) | align="center"|Paternal | align="center"|2022 | align="center"|1 | align="center"|0 |
| align="center"|9
| align="center"|1992 | {{Flag|Czech Republic}}{{Efn|At the time part of {{TCH}}|name=TCH}} (Prague) | align="center"|Paternal | align="center"|2024–present | align="center"|11 | align="center"|0 |
| align="center"|10
| align="center"|1997 | {{Flag|Brazil}} (Pirapemas) | align="center"|None (Naturalized) | align="center"|2024–present | align="center"|5 | align="center"|7 |
=Youth internationals=
The players in the following list represented Vietnam at youth level.
| class="wikitable sortable"
!style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Name !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Birthyear !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Place of birth !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="left" valign="center" |Vietnamese ancestry !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="center" valign="center" |Youth national team !style="background-color:#DB2017; color:#FFFF00; align="center" valign="center" |Youth national career |
| Đặng Văn Lâm
| align="center"|1993 | {{Flag|Russia}} (Moscow) | align="center"|Paternal | align="center"|{{fbu|19|VIE|name=Vietnam U-19}} | align="center"|2011 |
| Mạc Hồng Quân
| align="center"|1989 | {{Flag|Vietnam}} (Hải Dương){{Efn|Born in Vietnam, but grew up in {{Flag|Czech Republic}}|name=MHQ}} | align="center"|Full | align="center"|{{fbu|23|VIE|name=Vietnam U-23}} | align="center"|2012–2015 |
| Lò Martin
| align="center"|1997 | {{Flag|Australia}} (Sydney) | align="center"|Full | align="center"|{{fbu|23|VIE|name=Vietnam U-23}} | align="center"|2020 |
| Lê Khắc Viktor
| align="center"|2003 | {{Flag|Russia}} (Moscow) | align="center"|Paternal | align="center"|{{fbu|23|VIE|name=Vietnam U-23}} | align="center"|2025– |
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
General
{{refbegin}}
- {{Cite web |last=An |first=An |date=11 March 2022 |title=Cầu thủ Việt kiều lên tuyển Việt Nam được định giá 3,8 tỷ đồng |trans-title=Overseas Vietnamese players joining the Vietnamese team are valued at VND 3.8 billion |url=https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/cau-thu-viet-kieu-len-tuyen-viet-nam-duoc-dinh-gia-38-ty-dong-20220311120608392.htm |access-date=25 August 2022 |website=Dân trí |language=vi |archive-date=18 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818161652/https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/cau-thu-viet-kieu-len-tuyen-viet-nam-duoc-dinh-gia-38-ty-dong-20220311120608392.htm |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |last=Ngoc |first=Phan |date=21 July 2022 |title=Cầu thủ Việt kiều lên tuyển Việt Nam được định giá 3,8 tỷ đồng |trans-title=Overseas Vietnamese players joining the Vietnamese team are valued at VND 3.8 billion |url=https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/articles/c3gpk64eyvko |access-date=25 August 2022 |website=BBC News |language=vi |archive-date=18 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818161645/https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/articles/c3gpk64eyvko |url-status=live }}
{{refend}}
Specific
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{{Vietnam national football team}}
{{Football in Vietnam}}
{{Association football players}}
Category:Association football player non-biographical articles