Indonesian media shocked by the astonishing physical stats of the Vietnam national team

Indonesian press are taken aback by the superior body measurements of the Vietnam squad, with as many as 15 footballers exceeding 1.80 meters in height on the AFF Cup 2026 roster.

Just over a month before the 2026 AFF Cup, the Vietnam national team has unexpectedly become the center of attention for Indonesian media. This is not due to match results or naturalized stars, but because of a remarkable statistic regarding physique. According to assessments from Indonesian news outlets, Vietnam now possesses one of the best physical foundations in Southeast Asia—a rare sight in the past.

In a recent article, Bola Sport expressed surprise after analyzing the list of 28 players called up by coach Kim Sang-sik for the AFF Cup 2026. The newspaper commented: "The Indonesian team must take note of the shocking statistics from the Vietnam national team. Among the 28 players selected by coach Kim Sang-sik, 15 are over 1.80 meters tall. This is a surprising number for any Southeast Asian football team. It is even more unexpected to see such figures from Vietnam.

In the context of foreign-born naturalized players flooding Southeast Asian football, Vietnam now seems to place great emphasis on the physical strength of its players. Even more noteworthy, the three goalkeepers in the Vietnam squad have an average height of about 1.89 meters (specifically, Trung Kien at 1.91 m, Le Giang Patrik at 1.88 m, and Van Lam at 1.88 m). This is regarded as a significant advantage for Vietnam in aerial duels and control of the penalty area."

These statistics highlight a clear transformation in the development of Vietnamese football. While physical size was once considered a weakness compared to regional rivals, the Vietnam national team now possesses a squad with competitive height and physique. This is also one of the factors that make coach Kim Sang-sik's side a source of high expectations ahead of the region's biggest tournament.

Beyond physique, Indonesian media also highly rate the professional quality of the Vietnam national team, especially the group of naturalized players and overseas Vietnamese. In another article, Bola Sport noted: "The Vietnam national team has six naturalized players, including three of Brazilian origin who were naturalized after playing continuously for five years in the V-League, along with three overseas Vietnamese. Previously, Indonesian fans knew about two Brazilian-born strikers for Vietnam: Nguyen Xuan Son and Do Hoang Hen. Now they have another Brazilian-origin naturalized striker, Nguyen Tai Loc, formerly known as Geovane Magno. Meanwhile, the three overseas Vietnamese players on the Vietnam squad are goalkeeper Le Giang Patrik, Dang Van Lam, and midfielder Ngo Dang Khoa, who was previously called Khoa Ngo."

According to Indonesian experts, the presence of naturalized players significantly boosts the strength of the Vietnam national team in both attack and defense. In particular, the Brazilian-origin players are expected to bring technical differences, while the overseas Vietnamese goalkeepers help elevate the defensive quality. This is seen as one of the reasons why Vietnam has become a formidable opponent at the AFF Cup 2026.

At the AFF Cup 2026, Vietnam is placed in Group A alongside Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste. In the context where the two top contenders in the group—Vietnam and Indonesia—will fiercely compete for the top spot, these positive assessments from Indonesian media partly reflect the increasingly elevated status of the Vietnam national team in the Southeast Asian region.