Excluded from Vietnam U23, the European Vietnamese player immediately shined in Singapore

Vietnamese-European midfielder Trần Thành Trung stood out during the friendly game between Ninh Bình Club and Albirex Niigata.

To prepare for the upcoming return of the V-League, Ninh Bình Club is currently on a training camp and playing friendly matches in Singapore. The V-League leaders have two valuable matches against Lion City Sailors and Albirex Niigata. Earlier, Ninh Bình played against Lion City Sailors, but the detailed score was not publicly disclosed.

On the evening of January 8, Ninh Bình Club played their second friendly against Albirex Niigata (S). The match ended 2-1 in favor of the Vietnamese side. Trần Thành Trung and Geovane Magno each scored against the opponent. This was also Thành Trung’s first goal wearing the Ninh Bình FC jersey.

Previously, midfielder Trần Thành Trung was repeatedly called up but never participated in any official tournaments with Vietnam’s U22/U23 teams. Initially, this Vietnamese-European midfielder was selected for Vietnam U23 preparing for the AFC U23 qualifiers but was cut when the squad was reduced.

Later, he was not included in the initial list for SEA Games 33; he was called up as a replacement for injured Văn Trường but was again excluded when the final 23-player squad was confirmed. This time, for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship final round, Thành Trung was also not named.

Born in Bulgaria to a Vietnamese family, Trần Thành Trung holds dual citizenship of Vietnam and Bulgaria. He developed in the renowned CSKA Sofia academy before moving to Slavia Sofia, one of Bulgaria’s oldest clubs competing in the Bulgarian top division. Recently at Ninh Bình, Thành Trung has gradually secured a starting spot.

Thành Trung is currently performing well in the Ninh Bình FC jersey yet has not had luck with Vietnam U23 in major tournaments, which is quite regrettable for fans. However, being still young, Trần Thành Trung’s chances remain open for future competitions such as the 2026 ASIAD with Vietnam’s U21 team.