Why was naturalized defender Do Phi Long not called up to the Vietnam national team?

Defender Do Phi Long was not called up by coach Kim Sang Sik to the Vietnam national team for the FIFA Days fixtures in March 2026.

Defender Do Phi Long (Gustavo Sant'Ana Santos) was not summoned by coach Kim Sang Sik to the Vietnam national team for the March 2026 training camp, preparing for the friendly match against Bangladesh and the Asian Cup 2027 qualifier against Malaysia. The reason is that this player does not yet meet FIFA's eligibility requirements.

According to regulations, a naturalized player without Vietnamese ancestry must play continuously for five years in that country before being allowed to switch football associations. Although he has played in the V-League for nearly eight years, Phi Long's accumulation period was interrupted when he returned to Brazil to play for Anapolis for five months in 2022, when the V-League was suspended due to COVID-19.

Because he signed a contract to play for a club outside Vietnam after leaving Than Quang Ninh, FIFA did not recognize his previous period. When he returned to the V-League, Phi Long's accumulation time had to be recalculated from scratch, meaning he can only meet the eligibility criteria to wear the Vietnam national team jersey from mid-2027.

Do Phi Long was born in 1995, stands 1.95m tall, and plays as a defender. This player came to Vietnam in 2019 to play for Viettel Club. Do Phi Long has played for several clubs in Vietnam before joining his current club, SHB Da Nang. While playing for Thanh Hoa Club, Do Phi Long helped the Thanh region team win two national championships. This player possesses calm ball-playing ability, good aerial duels, and can also pass and initiate attacks.

At the end of 2025, he officially became a Vietnamese citizen after completing all naturalization procedures.

The newly announced Vietnam national team training camp roster