Vietnamese Women's Football at the 2026 World Cup: Tireless Runs on the Big Stage

I still remember the moment in the 80th minute of the match between the Vietnam women's national team and the Netherlands women's national team at the 2026 Women's World Cup. From the stands, I saw Huynh Nhu, our captain, still relentlessly pressing even though the score was 0-7. She did not give up. That small moment tells a big story about Vietnamese women's football: a long journey, full of hardships, but never lacking in willpower.

Context

The Vietnam women's national team qualified for the Women's World Cup for the first time in 2026, after reaching the semi-finals of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. This was a historic milestone, not only for women's football but for Vietnamese sports as a whole. But to understand its significance, we need to look at the background. Women's football in Vietnam has existed since the 1990s, but for a long time, it was considered a minor sport, receiving little investment and attention. Female players often had to train in difficult conditions, lacking facilities, and received much lower salaries than their male counterparts. According to statistics from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), before 2026, the number of articles written about the women's national team was only one-tenth that of the men's team. This disparity not only reflects injustice in the media but also affects funding and development opportunities for female players.

I have followed Vietnamese women's football since the 2026 SEA Games, when I was a young reporter sent to cover the event in Malaysia. In that year's final, Vietnam beat Thailand 2-1, and I misspelled Huynh Nhu's name as "Hoang Nhu" in the first half. That was a memorable lesson about being careful with every word. But more importantly, I realized that stories about women's football often begin with small things, from the bench, from quiet training sessions, where people first listen.

Core Insight

At the 2026 World Cup, the Vietnam women's team was in Group E, along with the USA, the Netherlands, and Portugal. This was considered the toughest group, as Vietnam had to face defending champions USA and runners-up the Netherlands. As a result, Vietnam lost all three matches, with an aggregate score of 0-12. But looking at that number to judge failure is a mistake. What matters more is how the team played.

Based on my experience covering matches, I saw that coach Mai Duc Chung built a sensible counter-attacking style, based on physicality and team spirit. Against the USA, Vietnam resisted stubbornly in the first half, only losing 0-3 after the second half. Against Portugal, the team had clear scoring chances but failed to convert them. The brightest spot was goalkeeper Kim Thanh, who made 12 saves, ranking second in the list of goalkeepers with the most saves in the group stage. Besides, Huynh Nhu was the most outstanding player in attack, with technical dribbles and good ball retention.

Tactically, Vietnam often used a 4-4-2 or 5-4-1 formation, concentrating numbers in their own half to limit the opponent's space. The players ran a lot, with an average distance covered per match of 10-11 km, higher than the tournament average. This shows extraordinary effort, despite a technical gap with top teams. However, the inherent weakness remains the ability to convert chances into goals and maintain concentration for the full 90 minutes. These are issues that need improvement if Vietnam wants to go further.

Notably, in the match against Portugal, Vietnam had 5 shots on target but no goals. This is evidence of inefficiency in finishing. If they improve this, the team could create surprises against strong opponents.

Contrarian Angle

After the 2026 World Cup, there was a wave of praise for the women's team's achievement. The media covered it extensively, and brands began to take notice. But is that real change? I think not. This attention is temporary and may quickly fade once the tournament ends. In reality, after the World Cup, the national women's championship still lacks an official sponsor, and many players still have to take extra jobs to make a living. According to a FIFA report, only 30% of Vietnamese female players earn a living wage from football.

The irony is that the commercial value of Vietnamese women's football is undervalued compared to its actual potential. The women's team's matches at the 2026 World Cup attracted millions of television viewers, but revenue from broadcasting rights and sponsorship still flows mainly to men's football. This is a paradox: the performance of women's football is better than ever, but financial investment has not kept pace. Managers need to reconsider their development strategy, focusing on building infrastructure, youth training, and improving compensation for female players.

I once wrote something right in my own way, then learned it wrong in the world's way. The lesson from the 2026 World Cup, when I was criticized for an article about indifference to the women's team, taught me that change takes time and patience. We cannot change the system overnight, but we can start by changing perceptions.

Takeaway

The journey of the Vietnam women's team at the 2026 World Cup is not just a story of three defeats. It is a story of people who dare to dream, dare to stand up, and fight for the colors of the flag. I believe that real change will come when we look not only at the scoreboard but also at what lies behind it. Vietnamese women's football is taking long strides, but to reach world class, it needs a comprehensive transformation of the system. And each of us, football lovers, should be part of that change by following, supporting, and honoring them – not only on big occasions but also on ordinary days.