The overseas Vietnamese star officially makes history in the Vietnam national team

For the first time in the history of the Vietnam national team, an overseas Vietnamese player has worn the captain's armband in an official match.

Before the match against Nepal, coach Kim Sang Sik surprised many by including Pendant Quang Vinh in the leadership group of the Vietnam national team for the October training camp. The French-Vietnamese defender was named one of the two vice-captains alongside Hoàng Đức, with Duy Mạnh as captain. This marked the first time an overseas Vietnamese player was selected for the leadership team of the Vietnam national team.

In the 3-1 victory over Nepal, Pendant Quang Vinh was again trusted by coach Kim Sang Sik to start as left-back. Although the CAHN star did not directly assist any goals, he had an impressive performance, making the left flank the main attacking point for the Vietnam national team.

Notably, when Duy Mạnh entered the field in the 84th minute, the captain's armband was passed to Pendant Quang Vinh. Although he only wore the captain's band for the final few minutes, it was undoubtedly a great honor for Pendant Quang Vinh. This was the first time in history that an overseas Vietnamese player captained the team in an official match, providing strong motivation for this Vietnamese-French star.

Previously, the selection of Cao Pendant Quang Vinh as vice-captain was quite surprising. He is the first overseas Vietnamese player in history to be honored as part of the leadership group of the Vietnam national team. Another interesting fact is that Pendant Quang Vinh only started playing for Vietnam’s national team in June this year after completing citizenship procedures and becoming eligible to play.

Pendant Quang Vinh’s selection also indicates that coach Kim Sang Sik aims to further diversify the composition of the Vietnam national team in the future. The defender with dual Vietnamese-French heritage could serve as a bridge between overseas Vietnamese players and naturalized players in the national squad.

Cao Pendant Quang Vinh’s father is French, and his mother is Vietnamese. He officially joined the Hanoi Police Club in August 2024 and obtained Vietnamese citizenship in March 2025. Before returning to Vietnam, Quang Vinh played for Sochaux, Quevilly-Rouen (France), and New York Red Bulls (USA), as well as representing France at U16 and U18 levels.