Vietnamese women's football aims for professionalism and sustainable development

In Hanoi on June 27, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) held a seminar to foster the National Women's Football Championship towards professionalization and sustainable development, attended by delegates from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), women's football clubs, and many experts from both inside and outside the country.

In his opening address, VFF General Secretary Nguyen Van Phu affirmed that Vietnamese women's football has achieved remarkable successes in recent years, notably qualifying for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 for the first time. However, to maintain and enhance its standing on the international stage, there is an urgent need to develop the domestic league system along professional lines.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Phu, support from FIFA, AFC, and UEFA will provide a crucial foundation, but the success of the development strategy largely depends on the role of the clubs. Therefore, this workshop is organized to gather feedback from the teams, thereby devising practical solutions to improve the quality of the National Women's Football Championship.

As part of the program, UEFA experts shared extensive experience on women's football development models in Europe. UEFA representative Lowri Roberts noted that expanding women's football from school age is a core factor in creating a pool of quality players for national teams in the future. At the same time, the number of matches for women's clubs needs to be increased to help players accumulate competitive experience and improve their skills.

Through the 2024-2027 Vietnamese Women's Football Development Project supported by UEFA and AFC, the VFF aims to gradually professionalize the league system. By 2027, the National Women's Football Championship will feature nine teams; at least three clubs will meet the standards to participate in AFC club competitions. Looking further ahead, Vietnamese women's football targets securing a spot in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2031, appearing in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2029 finals, and maintaining a position among the top five strongest teams in Asia.

Additionally, the VFF plans to vigorously develop school football, with approximately 1,200 schools implementing women's football programs by 2028, while also training more female coaches with AFC Pro licenses and enhancing the quality of female referees according to international standards.

The 2026 National Women's Football Championship will also mark a significant transition, as it will be organized for the first time in a home-and-away format with seven participating teams. This is seen as an important foundation to improve professional quality, increase the tournament's appeal, and prepare for the professionalization of Vietnamese women's football in the coming years.