Hong Duy refused to join the Vietnam national team because he was busy with his wedding?

Accordingly, the Nam Dinh defender was not on the list of coach Kim Sang-sik when announcing the 27 players to gather for the 2 matches in the 2nd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. Some information said that Hong Duy was on the list but withdrew at the last minute to focus on his wedding. In addition, the Nam Dinh player later received criticism on social networks for not respecting the national team's colors.

Regarding the incident, Hong Duy spoke up to clarify the matter: "I have always wanted to wear the Vietnamese national team jersey. There is no way I withdrew when coach Kim Sang-sik called me. I replied that the wedding schedule was on the afternoon of June 2 in Binh Phuoc. I am ready to fly to join the team after the wedding if called. However, the VFF representative said that they would need to discuss this schedule with the head coach again, and would announce it later. Later, on the same afternoon, the VFF announced the team list, but my name was not on it."

It is known that before announcing the list of national team players, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) called the players and their clubs to check their injuries and travel schedules. After considering many related issues, coach Kim Sang-sik crossed out Hong Duy.

According to the plan, the Vietnamese team will begin training on June 1. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have 5 days to prepare for the home match against the Philippines, which will take place at 7 p.m. on June 6, before moving to Iraq to play the final match in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia.