The "golden" benefits of Vietnamese football after over a decade of cooperation
For a long time, Vietnamese and Japanese football have shared many similarities in their aspirations to reach continental and global heights. Japan has affirmed its leading position in Asia, while Vietnam has consistently maintained its top ranking in Southeast Asia and is making its mark on the continental stage. On that journey, the cooperation between the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and the Japan Football Association (JFA) became an important pillar.
Since the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2014, the VFF and JFA have effectively implemented the agreements reached. The content focusses on exchanging teams at all levels for training, organising international friendly matches, sending experts and coaches to provide support, and exchanging experiences in referee management and training. This is the platform that opens up a close cooperative relationship between the two Football federations.
A notable achievement in cooperation during the 2014–2024 period is the enhancement of professional capacity: Vietnamese national teams at all levels (national, youth) were trained in top Asian football development environments. Japan has also supported the training of coaches and referees for Vietnam through training courses and workshops led by JFA experts. VFF has learnt modern management models from JFA, especially in the operation of professional leagues.
Vietnam and Japan have achieved many positive results in cooperation in the fields of culture, sports, and tourism.
Starting from September 18, 2024, in Tokyo, the VFF and JFA signed an extension of their comprehensive cooperation agreement (2024-2027 period). This memorandum of cooperation further strengthens the relationship between the two federations, which began in 2014. The new agreement will focus on key areas such as youth training, women's football, futsal, refereeing, sports medicine, and professional league development. This is not just a simple bilateral relationship, but also an exchange of experiences between a fully developed football nation and one that is on the verge of a breakthrough.
Notably, regarding youth football training – the foundation for developing professional football: Japan has long been considered a model in youth training with a synchronised academy system and a well-structured player development program. Vietnam has leveraged this cooperation to invite Japanese experts to work directly with youth teams and organise training camps. At the same time, many exchange programs for competition and training experience were organised, such as inviting Japan's youth team to play friendly matches with Vietnam's young players at the club or national youth team level.
Notably, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) appointed Japanese expert Yutaka Ikeuchi as the technical supervisor for the Vietnam U17 team at the Asian finals, along with international training courses. The presence of Japanese coaches and experts working in Vietnam has helped young Vietnamese players access scientific training methods that emphasise technical-tactical skills and modern strategic thinking, rather than relying solely on natural talent.
Alongside this, professional football activities with many meaningful programs have created a positive bridge between the two leading football systems in the two countries: V.League and J.League. This is also an important highlight in the cooperation program in the field of sports between the two countries, especially in the field of football over the past and coming years.
Notably, one of the key objectives of this new phase of the MoU is to strengthen the relationship between V.League and J.League. Not only does the MoU focus on exchanging tournament management experiences, but it also aims to create opportunities for Vietnamese players to compete in Japan. This is a strategic move, providing Vietnamese players with more opportunities to improve their skills while also promoting the image of Vietnamese football in one of Asia's top tournaments.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong and Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture Kuroiwa Yuji presented jerseys to children from the VietGoal Children's Football Centre.
At the club level, cooperation agreements like the one between Sông Lam Nghệ An and Mito HollyHock show a practical direction: exchanging young players, annual friendlies, and sharing academy management experience. Although the transfer results are not yet numerous, this is the necessary foundation for turning potential into reality.
Women's football and futsal are also identified as key areas of cooperation in the long-term development strategy within the cooperation agreement. For many years, Japan has been a powerhouse in Asian women's football, boasting the professional WE League and having won the World Cup. Sharing experiences in league management, coaching, and training women players brings significant value to Vietnam, where women's football is still striving to build professional and sustainable development mechanisms and strategies.
Not only focussing on exchanging and improving the players' skills, JFA also supports VFF in training coaches and referees. Training courses, seminars, and exchanges with Japanese faculty contribute to enhancing the capacity of referees and training staff. Sports medicine – a new but essential field for the development of professional football. Accordingly, this field is also being emphasised, becoming one of the important tasks to meet the requirements of professionalising Southeast Asia's top football.
These outstanding results show that cooperation with Japan has significantly contributed to improving the level of young players, opening doors for Vietnamese talents to access an advanced football environment. The professionalism in management and organisation of the JFA is also a valuable lesson for the VFF in the reform process.
Towards a shared future of development
Appreciating the good and increasingly strong cooperation between VFF and JFA, Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Chairman of VFF, once shared with the press: "Cooperation with JFA in this new phase is an important opportunity for Vietnamese football to access advanced experiences, especially in youth training, women's football development, and Futsal." We believe that JFA's partnership will contribute to sustainable progress for Vietnamese Football.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tashima Kohzo, President of the JFA, emphasised: "We highly appreciate the close cooperation with the VFF over the past 10 years. In this new phase, JFA is committed to continuing to accompany, support, and share experiences to develop together, thereby promoting friendly relations and cooperation between the two federations as well as the two countries."
To further deepen football cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, the MoU for the 2024-2027 period clearly identifies strategic goals to prioritise the development of both countries' football in the coming years. In particular, long-term investment will focus on youth training: building a standardised academy system that is closely linked to the JFA's training program.
With very specific cooperation programs and plans such as: supporting players to go abroad, not only sending players to the J.League, but also preparing them with language skills, integration skills, and legal support to increase their success rate.
In addition, focus on developing women's football and Futsal, leveraging knowledge and models from Japan to establish a professional women's league in Vietnam, while also improving the quality of the national Futsal system.
At the same time, we will continue to promote cooperation in sports science, sports medicine, and facility management. Successfully implement the local youth football project: specifically, implement it in Ho Chi Minh City with coach training courses and festivals for the U8-U10 age group. Organise more professional workshops and exchanges to share experiences and promote sustainable development between the football federations of the two countries.
If the aforementioned goals are realised into concrete results as expected, this cooperation will benefit not only Vietnam but also Japan itself: expanding the market, increasing the attractiveness of the tournament, and jointly building an East Asian football community that can compete with Europe.
Along with this, the cooperation agreement in the new phase promises to create an important boost for Vietnamese football, helping to improve professional quality and management capacity. Comprehensive cooperation with the JFA will contribute to promoting the internationalisation of Vietnamese football, expanding opportunities for competition and learning from the leading football nation in Asia. At the same time, this is also an important bridge, contributing to strengthening friendship and sports cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.
Huyen Trang