'Awakening' V-League

The noisy preparations at this club or the silent moves at that club have indicated that the V-League 2026/27 is already making early strides, because the new season is forecast to be extremely intense in both the race for honors and the fight to stay up. Everything points to the V-League being "renewed" in a positive way.

The new season will kick off on August 30 with the National Super Cup match between the 2025/26 V-League champion CAHN and the National Cup winner CATP.HCM. Following that, on September 4, the V-League will open, the First Division starts on September 11, and the National Cup begins on September 18. Thus, time is short, with only about two weeks left for preparations before the new season starts.

The V-League 2026/27 features a series of changes, the most important being the abolition of the end-of-season playoff between the second-last V-League team and the First Division runner-up. Instead, the 13th and 14th-placed teams will be directly relegated, making way for the top two teams from the First Division to be promoted for the next season. This means that clubs fighting to avoid relegation will no longer have a "safety net" through the playoff as in the past three seasons. Conversely, the promotion opportunities for First Division clubs have widened with two direct promotion slots.

Another issue is the significant change in the number of foreign players. In the V-League 2026/27, clubs are allowed to register a maximum of four foreign players and can use up to four foreign players on the field at any time during a match (one more foreign player compared to the previous season).

For clubs representing Vietnam in AFF and AFC club competitions, they can register a maximum of seven foreign players in their squad, but they are still only allowed to use four on the field like other clubs. With the approval of four foreign players, clubs without strong financial resources will inevitably face problems. Teams with limited funds, if they want to have enough foreign players to compete on equal footing, will struggle to manage their budgets; otherwise, they will suffer a disadvantage in terms of foreign player strength.

So far, it can be seen that clubs are shopping in the transfer market according to their capabilities. Based on the moves made so far, there are two types of transfers, reflecting the goals each side pursues. Clubs with strong financial resources are making loud and aggressive purchases, clearly showing their ambition to compete for titles. In contrast, the other group is making moderate transfers or relying on homegrown talent, hoping only to survive in the V-League at the end of the season.

Observing the preparation process of each team promises a new season with intense races. The busy transfers and recruitments right after the 2025/26 season ended hint at an exciting season ahead. Fans are also eager for the 27th professional season to see significant quality growth.

What is worth looking forward to in the V-League 2026/27 is not only the blockbuster contracts or the championship race. The greater value of the season lies in the shift in the development mindset of many clubs. Instead of chasing short-term results, more and more teams are choosing a systematic investment path, aiming to build a sustainable foundation in management, youth training, and brand development.

Another positive signal is that in recent seasons, many clubs have been bold in giving opportunities to young players. In a fiercely competitive environment, new talents will have more chances to gain experience, accumulate skills, and gradually become the next generation for the national teams at various levels. This is also an important measure reflecting the quality of a professional football foundation.

For any football nation, the professional league system is always the foundation and launchpad that needs to be solidly strengthened. That said, we hope that from the 2026/27 season, the V-League will be truly "awakened" to take new steps forward.