Overseas Vietnamese rising star wins championship with Haaland's former team

The Vietnamese-origin full-back Nguyen Quoc Khai has just triumphed in the Austrian U18 league playing for Red Bull Salzburg, the very club that gave rise to Haaland, Mane, and Szoboszlai.

Defender Overseas Vietnamese, Nguyen Quoc Khai is becoming a name that draws special attention from Vietnamese football fans after an explosive season with the U18 Red Bull Salzburg side. At age 17, the player of Vietnamese-Austrian heritage not only secured the Austrian U18 championship but is also regarded as one of the most promising young talents from Europe's top-tier academy.

U18 RB Salzburg just wrapped up the 2025/26 season in the most convincing fashion, finishing 17 points clear of the runners-up. In that title run, Quoc Khai featured in the latter part of the campaign and managed seven appearances for the U18 team after being promoted from the U16 squad in late February 2026. Being given the chance to play above his age group in a fiercely competitive environment like RB Salzburg shows that Quoc Khai is highly rated for his developmental potential.

Born in 2009, Quoc Khai has a Vietnamese father and an Austrian mother. He joined the ASV Salzburg academy at a young age before catching the eye of RB Salzburg scouts—an academy widely considered one of the most prestigious youth systems in Europe today. This is the same institution that produced a string of major stars such as Dominik Szoboszlai and Konrad Laimer, and served as a launchpad for names like Erling Haaland, Sadio Mane, Marcel Sabitzer, and Takumi Minamino to step into the spotlight of top-level football. All of this only heightens the expectations of Vietnamese fans for Quoc Khai's future.

Beyond his club impact, this overseas Vietnamese player has also represented Austria at U15 and U17 levels. Notably, during the UEFA U17 Euro 2026 qualifiers, Quoc Khai started in the match against Denmark U17. His specialty is left-back, but he is also comfortable on the right flank or pushing forward as a midfielder when needed.

Next season, Nguyen Quoc Khai is likely to join U19 Red Bull Salzburg in the UEFA Youth League, a competition often likened to the UEFA Champions League for young talents. This will be a tremendous opportunity for the Vietnamese overseas star to gain experience against Europe's leading academies and take his career to the next level.

As Vietnamese football increasingly opens its doors to overseas Vietnamese players, Nguyen Quoc Khai could very well become a "future gift" for the national team. Following the successes of Nguyen Filip, Le Viktor, and Cao Pendant Quang Vinh, fans are eagerly awaiting the next name to make a significant impact on the country's football scene.