Vietnamese-German player eligible to compete for Vietnam U23 revealed

Simon Vũ Như Thông, a 19-year-old promising Vietnamese-German talent, has the potential to be a candidate for Vietnam’s U23 squad in the future.

Amid Vietnam's expanding policy to attract and utilize overseas Vietnamese-origin players, Simon Vũ Như Thông, born in 2006 and currently with Fortuna Düsseldorf, is emerging as a promising prospect for the Vietnam U23 team.

Simon Vũ, holding dual German and Vietnamese citizenship, has a crucial advantage that makes joining the Vietnam U23 team more feasible than ever. At 19 years old, he stands 1.70m tall and has made 24 appearances for Düsseldorf’s U19 team.

Although he has only provided one assist, he has impressed experts with his ball control, sharp situational awareness, and remarkable tactical vision. Simon’s versatility is evident as he can play various positions, from central midfielder and defensive midfielder to full-back when needed.

Currently, Simon Vũ is part of Fortuna Düsseldorf’s U23 squad competing in the Regionalliga West, the fourth tier of German football. While not among Europe’s top leagues, it is a demanding environment that regularly produces talented young players for Bundesliga clubs. His promotion to the U23 team at 18 clearly demonstrates his ability and development.

Notably, Simon Vũ’s emergence aligns with Vietnam’s trend of expanding its talent scouting network among Vietnamese-origin players in Europe. Success stories like Filip Nguyễn and Jason Quang Vinh Pendant have been major encouragements for overseas Vietnamese players to return and represent their homeland.

With his solid training background in Germany, Simon Vũ can significantly strengthen Vietnam U23’s midfield, which always needs players capable of controlling the tempo and demonstrating high tactical intelligence.

Having obtained Vietnamese citizenship, the door is wide open for Simon Vũ to be called up to Vietnam’s youth national teams. This marks an important milestone in his career and a positive signal for Vietnam’s football development strategy.