Why hasn't naturalized player Đỗ Hoàng Hên debuted for the Vietnam national team yet?

Despite holding Vietnamese nationality, Đỗ Hoàng Hên still hasn't appeared for the Vietnam national team in 2025.

On the afternoon of October 16, multiple sources confirmed that midfielder Hendrio (Vietnamese name Đỗ Hoàng Hên) officially received Vietnamese citizenship after a long wait. He will start playing for Hanoi FC as a naturalized player from round 7 of the V-League onward.

Born on May 16, 1994, Hoàng Hên developed through the youth academy of the prestigious Barcelona club before playing in various countries. He is regarded as one of the top talents in the V-League, known for his tactical awareness, flexible ball distribution, and outstanding individual skills. Notably, Hendrio has expressed his desire to commit long-term to Vietnamese football and dreams of representing the national team. Additionally, his Vietnamese language skills are quite good.

However, Đỗ Hoàng Hên cannot immediately wear the Vietnam national team jersey. Specifically, he began playing in Vietnam (for Bình Định) in December 2019. Therefore, he will only meet the 5-year residency requirement by December 2025. Soon, Đỗ Hoàng Hên will apply to switch his federation affiliation from Brazil to Vietnam. The earliest he could join the national team is for the second leg against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, if coach Kim Sang Sik calls him up.

The arrival of Đỗ Hoàng Hên will definitely significantly strengthen both the capital’s club and the Vietnam national team.

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BREAKING: Brazilian midfielder officially granted Vietnamese citizenship Hendrio has officially become a Vietnamese citizen and will play under the new name Đỗ Hoàng Hên. See more