A Vietnamese football team must leave Mỹ Đình

Thể Công - Viettel will relocate their home matches from Mỹ Đình to Hàng Đẫy beginning with round 13 of the 2025/26 V.League, as announced by the organizers, closing another chapter of elite football “absent” from Mỹ Đình.

LPBank Organizing Committee V-League 1-2025/26 confirmed that the Thể Công - Viettel club will change their home stadium from Mỹ Đình to Hàng Đẫy starting from round 13 of the 2025/26 season. This decision follows the club’s report and proposal and is considered consistent with the league’s regulations and the current match schedule plan.

According to the organizers' notice, from round 13 onwards, all home matches of Thể Công - Viettel will be held at Hàng Đẫy Stadium instead of Mỹ Đình as originally scheduled. For round 26—the final round, when matches take place simultaneously—the club is responsible for registering another stadium that meets all required standards to host their home game.

The organizers also requested that Thể Công - Viettel and relevant departments proactively update information and coordinate efforts to ensure smooth organization of matches at the new venue.

The decision by Thể Công - Viettel causes Mỹ Đình Stadium to once again face the reality of drifting away from hosting top-level matches, at least for an indefinite period. For fans, this news inevitably brings a sense of regret since the national stadium, once a symbol of Vietnamese football, is appearing less frequently in the schedule of important club and national team games.

In fact, this is not the first time Thể Công - Viettel has left Mỹ Đình. During the 2024/25 season, the team moved their home matches to Hàng Đẫy for rounds 20, 21, and 24. The main reason was that Mỹ Đình was prioritized for many non-football events, causing scheduling conflicts.

Besides scheduling issues, the quality of the pitch has also been a concern for clubs and experts, especially regarding professional standards and injury risks. At that time, the organizers agreed to have Thể Công - Viettel play at Hàng Đẫy towards the end of the season to ensure better playing conditions.

The trend of “leaving Mỹ Đình” is not only seen at the club level. Previously, VFF chose Thiên Trường Stadium to host the Vietnam vs. Malaysia match in the Asian Cup qualifiers this coming March. This raises more questions about Mỹ Đình’s role in major football events: when will the national stadium truly regain its position as the venue for top-tier matches?