Nguyen Xuan Son: 'Being on the Vietnam national team is a bit crazy and changed my life'

Nearly a month after the 2024 ASEAN Cup, Nguyen Xuan Son sometimes still cannot believe what happened is real. He and Vietnam won the championship, winning a double of individual awards - Best Player and Top Scorer. The naturalized Brazilian striker was awarded money, a car and was widely recognized by fans for his talent.

"Me joining the Vietnam national team is a different story, somewhat crazy and life-changing for me," Xuan Son said yesterday, the second day of Tet. "I received almost everything in a short time. Sometimes, I still find it unbelievable because everything happened so fast."

Xuan Son became a Vietnamese citizen in September 2024. Three months later, he held his breath waiting for FIFA and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) to approve him to play in the 2024 ASEAN Cup. Son was finally included in the 26-man squad for the tournament, but was not registered to play in the first three group stage matches. It was not until the final match against Myanmar on December 20, 2024, that Son was allowed to play when he met the requirement of living in Vietnam for five years continuously.

At Viet Tri Stadium, Xuan Son made an impressive debut, scoring a brace and assisting two goals to help Vietnam win 5-0. He then scored three more goals to help his team defeat Singapore 5-1 after two semi-finals. In the first leg of the final, Son scored a brace to help Vietnam beat Thailand 2-1, also the first win over their arch-rivals in an official tournament in 17 years.

In the return match at Rajamangala, Son broke his right leg, but Vietnam still won 3-2 to win the Southeast Asian championship for the third time. The striker born in 1997 had to cheer for his teammates in the hospital, then burst into tears at the airport when coach Kim Sang-sik gave him the Cup and medal.

"I feel a bit unlucky, but on the contrary, I received a lot of love from Vietnamese fans," Son said. "I hope to return as soon as possible to be able to compete, sing the national anthem and score many goals for the team."

Xuan Son also thanked VFF, the club and many people who supported him a lot during the difficult period, especially Nam Dinh Club President Nguyen Van Thien. Therefore, he chose to spend his entire football career with this president.

After surgery, Son is expected to need about 6-8 months to recover. He will stay in the hospital in Hanoi for two weeks before returning to Nam Dinh to continue his rehabilitation and celebrate the Lunar New Year 2025. Son determined that this is an important stage, so he should focus on 100% recovery, to soon return to the field with the highest form.

In his first traditional Tet holiday as a Vietnamese citizen, Son took a photo wearing ao dai with his wife and children, his in-laws and the family of his close friend, Da Nang defender Marlon Rangel. He said he would stay home to focus on his recovery instead of visiting his relatives. "I feel very happy to enjoy this special time of my life," Son said.