From ball boy to pillar of Vietnam national team

The fate of "opening the shop"

In the 25th minute of the friendly match between Cambodia and Vietnam, midfielder Nguyen Hai Long had a superb free kick that hit the ball into the top corner to open the score. This was the first goal of the Vietnamese team in 2025.

Before this point, although the Vietnamese team controlled the game, they had many difficulties in penetrating the opponent's net.

Remember, at the AFF Cup 2024, Hai Long was also the player who scored the "opening" goal for the Vietnamese team. From this goal, the red team went straight to the championship. More notably, it was Hai Long who scored the goal that ended all hopes of the Thais in the second leg of the final.

The player who grew up at The Cong training center has scored 3 goals for the Vietnam national team after only 9 appearances, an impressive performance, especially when he does not play as a striker.

Under coach Kim Sang-sik, Hai Long was used regularly and played an important role in the attack. He impressed with his speed, technique and good finishing with both feet.

With such development, Hai Long will certainly have many more opportunities to shine in the national team.

Rise from adversity

Few people know that the career path of the Quang Ninh native has not been all rosy. Since childhood, he has loved football to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep. "It's hard to describe, but I feel like I can't live without a ball," Hai Long confided.

In 2011, with the support of his uncle, Long applied to the Viettel The Cong training center. After two rounds of competition, he was accepted and won the U13 runner-up and the U15 national champion. Unfortunately, on a personal level, he was judged unsuitable so he was forced to train with the Than Quang Ninh youth team.

After much effort, in 2020, he officially appeared in the V-League at the age of 20, becoming one of the youngest players in the tournament. He also quickly became a U22 player and was sought after by many teams. However, his love for his hometown team made the boy born in 2000 refuse everything.

Then the incident once again struck and challenged Hai Long. In 2021, Than Quang Ninh dissolved, he was recruited by Hanoi FC. There was a period when Hai Long rarely played and if he had the chance, he did not perform well and many people thought of an unhappy ending for the mining boy.

"I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere at Hanoi FC, the training intensity as well as the level of players were far from what I imagined. Therefore, I felt self-conscious. But I did not stop but tried harder, did not lose my desire and had to become a more complete version, worthy of being a part of the team," Hai Long shared.

Dream come true

In the national team, Hai Long's ability was also doubted at times when he was not called up or had to sit on the bench. The challenge once again could not defeat the will of the slim young man.

"I focus on doing my job well. On the training ground or in matches, I will play with all my ability and desire to prove that I am ready," the 25-year-old player affirmed. His seriousness and desire helped him be named in the national team for the AFF Cup 2024 - the dream of a ball boy 10 years ago.

According to Hai Long, when the Vietnamese team played the AFF Cup 2014 matches at home, he was a member of the U15 team assigned to be a ball boy. "The fiery atmosphere in the stands and the image of the proud seniors on the field inspired me.

I want to wear the national flag and fight for the joy of the fans. But no matter how much I dream, I never dare to think that I will be in the AFF Cup final and even score a goal," the Hanoi FC player confided.

At the age of 25, the young man born in Tien Yen still has many new horizons to conquer. The important thing is that he always keeps the fire of desire and the mindset of a player ready to accept any challenge.

"For me, no matter how beautiful the past is, it is still yesterday. We must strive for today and tomorrow. I will not lose my desire and always move forward," Hai Long emphasized.