Xuân Son's return to the Vietnam national team is a gamble worth taking by Coach Kim Sang Sik.

Is Coach Kim Sang Sik risking too much by recalling Xuân Son to the Vietnam national team after more than 11 months of rehabilitation? Possibly, yet this is a risk worth taking by the Korean coach.

Is Xuân Son’s comeback truly a gamble?

This question has been raised by many after Xuân Son was named in the squad preparing for the match against Laos on November 19, within the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. It’s important to remember that the Brazilian-born striker has not played any official matches since the fibula injury he suffered during the AFF Cup 2024 final against Thailand in December 2024.

It’s a risky gamble but also one worth attempting. Xuân Son—whose talent has been proven through numerous iconic goals—needs matches like this to warm up, regain form, and restore his goal-scoring instinct. Could this once-hero turn into the "remedy" for Vietnam’s national team offense that is eager to explode?

Xuân Son is no unfamiliar name. Before the serious injury at the 87th minute of the AFF Cup 2024 final that forced him off on a stretcher, the striker born in 1997 had scored over 40 goals in the last three V-League seasons, playing a significant role in helping Nam Định win their historic 2024 championship. At AFF Cup 2024, although he only started playing from the last group stage match and missed the second leg of the final, he still secured two awards: top scorer (7 goals) and best player of the tournament. "He is not just a striker but a symbol of Nam Định and the Vietnam national team," commented Coach Vũ Hồng Việt.