VFF 10th-Term Leadership Race (2026–2030): What Is Happening Before the October 19 Deadline?

In the past three weeks, conversations among club representatives and member federations have revolved around a single question: who will take the VFF chair for the 10th term, 2026–2030? The nomination deadline is October 19, and the current candidate list is still described as "preliminary information" provided by clubs, while the VFF personnel subcommittee is still compiling. Following this chain of events from London, I find the notable point is not the name of any candidate, but the power structure and financial flows behind each nomination.

Context: A race shaped by three factors

The current picture features three names most frequently mentioned: Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, the incumbent chairman; Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuy, a businessman; and an institutional standing vice-chairman. Notably, no USD billionaire has been nominated for either the chairman or the finance vice-chairman post – the position that has historically been the channel for the largest private resources into Vietnamese football for years.

In the VFF model, the finance vice-chairman seat has long been where major benefactors channel money into the national team. The vacancy of this seat at the nomination stage is a concerning signal about resource mobilization capacity. Mr. Tran Anh Tuan has been re-nominated for the technical vice-chairman position, suggesting the technical direction of Vietnamese football is unlikely to change regardless of who wins the chair.

Core analysis: Which clauses are really being negotiated?

Reading the preliminary information closely, I see the only program with concrete content is that of Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuy, focused on attracting resources and connecting stakeholders. This frames the race not as a clash of football philosophies, but as a confrontation between "resources" and "continuity".

No candidate has published a specific football development program – from youth training pathways, coach education, to league integration. This is a significant information gap, as Vietnamese football faces thorny issues: the conversion rate from youth to first team, calendar alignment between V.League and the national team, and refereeing and VAR standards.

Financially, the absence of a USD billionaire in the nomination list is the most important fact. It shows that the VFF's financial model – based on three pillars: state support, commercial sponsorship, and private capital – is wobbling on the third pillar. If Mr. Thuy wins with a resource-attraction program, his ability to deliver will depend on personal networks rather than an institutionalized financial mechanism.

Contrarian angle: What mainstream media misses

There is a point that news reports often do not mention: in a VFF congress, the votes are not with the fans. Member organizations – clubs and local federations – are the ones who nominate and vote. The national team's reputation, including the 2026 ASEAN Championship, has value as a legitimacy card in the media, but does not directly translate into votes.

This means the race for the VFF chair for the 10th term is essentially a negotiation over interests among interest groups in Vietnamese football. The Southeast Asian championship in January 2026 has bought the incumbent leadership a full term, unless a heavyweight billionaire decides to jump in before the congress. The publication of information about the candidate list before the October 19 deadline may be a way to shape perceptions of who is a "serious" candidate.

Takeaway: The next dominos

When the release clause shatters, the market starts to fear. Here, the release clause is the vacant finance vice-chairman seat. A billionaire may appear late, or may not. If not, the VFF will have to rely more on the state budget – a choice dependent on political decisions. Insiders stay silent, outsiders guess. I choose to stand in between and listen to the sound of the contract. The question is not who will win, but who will pay for the next four years of Vietnamese football.