Indonesia and Malaysia currently have the highest number of naturalized players in Southeast Asia. These teams can even field lineups entirely comprised of players born outside their respective territories.
Indonesia’s current roster is largely filled with naturalized players. (Image: CNN Indonesia).
Regarding this, the Indonesian newspaper Suara wrote: “The player naturalization program that PSSI is pursuing is helping the Indonesian national team improve its performance. The national team of the archipelago is stronger than they were in previous years.”
“Regarding neighboring countries, Malaysia also has a similar naturalization approach to Indonesia. However, it is still too early to say that this massive player naturalization policy will bring lasting success,” Suara further noted.
Compared to Indonesia and Malaysia, Vietnam’s national team has not engaged in such a massive influx of naturalized players. Vietnamese football in general, and the VFF in particular, continue to develop their national team based on domestically trained and grown players.
The Suara newspaper commented: “The VFF’s approach to naturalizing players for the Vietnamese national team differs significantly from other teams, and even more so from the Indonesian national team.”
Xuân Son exemplifies Vietnam’s selective naturalization policy. (Image: Mạnh Quân).
“Vietnamese football has a more selective player naturalization program compared to other footballing nations and teams in Southeast Asia. This selective naturalization is helping the Vietnamese national team stand out from neighboring teams. Nguyễn Xuân Son is a prime example; this naturalized player is different from the naturalized players of Indonesia and Malaysia,” the newspaper article continued.
Crucially, Vietnam’s selective naturalization policy, spearheaded by the VFF, helps the national team maintain both strength and national identity. This is evidenced by the team’s AFF Cup 2024 victory under Coach Kim Sang Sik.
Furthermore, the U22 Vietnamese national team remains a strong contender for the U23 Southeast Asian Championship and the SEA Games 33 this year. This demonstrates the quality of Vietnam’s domestically trained young players.
