In Vietnam, Brazilian player Rafaelson, after successfully naturalizing, has taken the name Nguyen Xuan Son and he is becoming a "hot" character ahead of the AFF Cup 2024. According to a source from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), Xuan Son is eligible to wear the Vietnamese national team jersey from December 21, 2024 (which is also the day Vietnam plays Myanmar in the group stage of the AFF Cup 2024). When our football is in need of a boost in performance, who knows, the appearance of a special factor - a "swallow" like Xuan Son can bring a different atmosphere, signaling that spring is coming and we have the right to expect good things.
Nguyen Xuan Son is eligible to play for the Vietnamese national team from December 21.
Looking at neighboring countries, naturalization to change the color of the national team's achievements is not a new thing. Singapore has been successful with the "Westernization" of the team and 4 Southeast Asian championships. Although the Philippines has not been able to "turn into a dragon", several times adding "Western elements" has helped them upgrade the quality of the squad, making opponents wary. A few years ago, the Laos team called up Billy Ketkeophomphone, an immigrant player, playing in Ligue 1 (France), and although it did not create a breakthrough, the team of the million elephants at that time seemed harder to bully than before.
The group of top teams in the region such as Thailand, Malaysia and most recently Indonesia have also returned to this method. The current Indonesian team is no different from the European team of Southeast Asia. This method is controversial, but it must be admitted that Indonesian football is getting stronger! The nature of a competitive game like football requires strong, healthy players; while the native people of Southeast Asia are clearly at a physical disadvantage compared to many other regions. That is why Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian team present in the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.
Each country will have its own strategy, suitable to the characteristics and internal situation of its football. But looking at the whole picture, currently most football federations in Southeast Asia have entered a transitional period, with a strong "Westernization" policy for the national team. Even Cambodia has paved the way for many naturalized players who have lived in the country for more than 5 years to be called up to the national team to prepare for the AFF Cup 2024. Singapore does not naturalize massively like before, but they still have players of Japanese origin in the squad. Thailand has also used Thai-born players of mixed blood in recent years to refresh its image.
In that trend, Vietnam is not out of the game. After Nguyen Xuan Son, in the near future, if there is another foreign factor that becomes a Vietnamese citizen and contributes to the Vietnam national football team, it should also be seen as an inevitable step. However, we should not abuse this method to expect to improve achievements, but should only consider it a temporary solution to create momentum for a more fundamental revolution in football with a foundation of youth training and a stable domestic tournament system.
Given this situation, the AFF Cup (or the new name ASEAN Cup 2024) can be considered a tournament of the "transitional period - Westernization" in many national teams. Because the "Western quality" in the jerseys of Southeast Asian teams has never been so concentrated.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tay-hoa-doi-tuyen-quoc-gia-co-gi-xau-185241202230123025.htm
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