Xuân Son: 'Being part of the leadership board of the Vietnam national team is a privilege'

Naturalized forward Nguyễn Xuân Son said that his election to the Vietnam national team's leadership committee during the preparation camp for the 2026 ASEAN Cup is a significant honor for both himself and his family.

Before the morning training session on June 27, the Vietnam national team announced the leadership board for the gathering ahead of the 2026 ASEAN Cup.

Midfielder Nguyễn Quang Hải was trusted by the coaching staff to take on the captaincy. The two vice-captains are Nguyễn Hoàng Đức and Nguyễn Xuân Son.

"When I played in youth teams in Brazil, I once served as captain. But this is the first time I've been trusted to be part of the Vietnam national team's leadership board. Honestly, I'm very happy.

I'm used to pressure. Being in the leadership board of the Vietnam national team is a privilege for me. This is something very special. I will try to do my best to help the team."

Speaking about the goals for the 2026 ASEAN Cup, Nguyễn Xuân Son affirmed that team success always comes before individual milestones. He emphasized: "I always want to score goals and aim for the top scorer title.

But if I am the top scorer and the team doesn't win the championship, then it doesn't mean much. The most important thing is still the championship trophy. I want to help the team successfully defend this title.

I just returned from a serious injury, so I need more time to reach my best form. Currently, I feel my physical condition is very good, and I will try to score, assist, and fulfill the requirements set by the coaching staff."

"I hope Duy Mạnh will return soon. He is a very important player for the team and also a close friend of mine. I hope he continues to work hard to come back and play with the whole team soon," Xuân Son said.

When asked about overseas Vietnamese newcomer Ngô Đăng Khoa, Nguyễn Xuân Son praised the young player's qualities and believes he will quickly integrate into the team. "Đăng Khoa is a quality player with many good attributes. I hope he will contribute a lot to the team, and I will also try to help him adapt quickly to the whole squad," Xuân Son stated.

Regarding newcomer Nguyễn Tài Lộc, Xuân Son believes his teammate fully deserves his first call-up to the national team based on his performances in the V.League. "Tài Lộc has worked very hard to get to where he is today. He has played in Vietnam for many years and fully deserves to be in the national team. We will help him integrate quickly so that he can contribute to the team together."

Facing expectations for the Vietnam national team's attack, Nguyễn Xuân Son affirmed that he always respects all professional decisions made by coach Kim Sang Sik. "The Vietnam national team has many quality players. My job is to play, score goals, and help the whole team. Choosing the lineup is the head coach's decision."

During the FIFA Days training camp in March 2026, ahead of the match against Malaysia in the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Nguyễn Quang Hải and Nguyễn Hoàng Đức served as vice-captains, supporting captain Đỗ Duy Mạnh. However, in this camp, Đỗ Duy Mạnh is undergoing treatment and recovery from an injury, so the coaching staff has given the captain's armband to Nguyễn Quang Hải.

The continued trust from the coaching staff in giving the captaincy to Quang Hải shows his important role within the Vietnam national team. Not only is he one of the most experienced and influential players professionally, but the midfielder born in 1997 also consistently demonstrates a sense of responsibility, professionalism, the ability to connect team members, and serves as a role model in training and daily life.

Quang Hải is also a familiar face in the leadership board at various team levels. He once wore the captain's armband for the Vietnam U20 team at the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup, later for the Vietnam U23 team, and now continues to take on the role of national team captain.

Besides his contributions to the national team, Quang Hải just completed a successful 2025/26 season with CLB Công An Hà Nội, winning the V.League championship with the club and being voted the season's best player.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Hoàng Đức continues to be part of the leadership board as vice-captain. Notably, Nguyễn Xuân Son has been trusted with this role for the first time. This not only reflects his increasingly good integration into the Vietnam national team but also helps strengthen the bond between experienced players, naturalized players, and Vietnamese-origin players.

This is also one of the key factors contributing to building a united squad, aiming to defend the 2026 ASEAN Cup championship.

The Vietnam national team will continue training in Hanoi until July 1 before traveling to South Korea for a training camp from July 2 to July 14.

During the training camp, the team will play three friendly matches to review the squad, evaluate player form, and finalize tactical plans before embarking on the journey to defend the 2026 ASEAN Cup title.