BREAKING: Vietnamese football prodigy ranks among top 60 worldwide

The Guardian's 2025 list of top 60 young talents features a Vietnamese player.

The respected British newspaper, The Guardian, has just released the list Next Generation 2025: 60 of the best young talents in world football -The top 60 most promising young football talents in 2025. Alongside many renowned prospects from Europe and South America, Vietnamese football surprisingly includes one representative.

Accordingly, The Guardian has included Trần Gia Bảo, a young striker from HAGL, in this list. Holding the record as the youngest player to score in V-League history on his debut, Gia Bảo also made waves with Vietnam's U17 team by scoring against Japan U17 in a 1-1 draw.

The Guardian describes Gia Bảo as follows: "He became the youngest player to appear and score in the V-League at just 16 years old. Before that, this versatile forward, capable of playing as a central striker or slightly deeper, impressed greatly and won fans over with his handsome looks.

Compared by fans to Lamine Yamal, he continues competing in Vietnam’s top league and caught attention in September by scoring a goal described by former striker Nguyễn Quang Hải as 'European class.' Hopefully, he will become the first Vietnamese player to truly make an impact in Europe."

Being named by The Guardian among the top 60 promising young talents worldwide in 2025 is certainly a great honor for Gia Bảo. However, it also brings considerable pressure as the young striker born in 2008 will face increased media attention and scrutiny in the future.

Previously, two other Vietnamese young talents, Phan Thanh Hậu and Lê Đình Long Vũ, received similar honors. While Phan Thanh Hậu remained a young talent who never fully blossomed at HAGL, Lê Đình Long Vũ from SLNA has also shown signs of stagnation recently. Therefore, being named by The Guardian is truly a double-edged sword for the prodigy Gia Bảo at this moment.