Huỳnh Như: 'Asian football will gradually catch up with the world'

Forward Huỳnh Như provided valuable comments to the AFC before the 2026 Asian Cup finals.

Ahead of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup finals, Vietnam women's team striker Huỳnh Như gave notable remarks to the tournament organizers. Reflecting on her two-year stint in Portugal, she said: “I had the chance to experience a professional European environment for about two years, during which I learned a great deal of things,” Huỳnh Như stated.

“In Europe, players usually have better physical fitness, advanced skills, and natural talent. However, Asian players also excel in agility and technique. I believe that with the current progress of Asian football, we will gradually catch up with world football.”

Although she has represented Vietnam over 100 times and scored 70 goals, the excitement and sense of achievement every time she wears the red jersey remain deeply present in the captain of the Vietnam women's national team’s mind.

“Being selected for the Vietnam national football team is a huge pride and the greatest honor of my career and life. Every time I put on the red shirt with the yellow star of the Vietnamese national team, I feel extremely proud, along with a strong sense of responsibility,"Huỳnh Như shared.

“I want to inspire the younger generation of players so they can continue to strive and contribute to Vietnamese football, helping the country develop further and get closer to the international stage,"Huỳnh Như emphasized the importance of youth development.

“For me, every player in the Vietnam national team is very talented, and my teammates are always ready to share and support each other. I don’t feel overwhelmed by responsibility because we share it together, and we consider each other family. Therefore, we will give our all and fight with everything we have for the jersey and the pride of the Vietnam national team,” Huỳnh Như stressed.