The 2025/26 V.League season has kicked off, after one of the strangest pre-seasons I’ve seen in my 14 years of following Vietnamese football. And yes — I’m back to get this blog underway again after a 5-year hiatus. A lot has changed since I last posted regularly, but I’ve still managed to get to plenty of games throughout some of the Covid period and, then since relocating from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City three years ago.

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Pre-season Reflections on V.League 2025/26

A few times a year I manage to schedule a work “business trip” to coincide with northern fixtures and get along to my favourite stadium at Hang Day to watch Hanoi FC.

The fan experience in the South is nowhere near what it is in the North, with low crowds, ownership turnover, poor fan engagement, and ultimately weak performances on the pitch in recent years.

But enough about that — on to the opening match: Hanoi FC visiting Thong Nhat Stadium to face the newly rebranded HCMC Police, who have taken over from HCMC FC.

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The Decline of HCMC FC

HCMC FC were a miserable watch last season: just 19 goals all year, only 4 wins at home, and a 10th-place finish out of 14. Bad enough — but when clubs disappear or get swallowed up, fans are left frustrated and disconnected.

It’s one of the biggest reasons football culture in the South has struggled to build any long-term loyalty over the past 10–20 years.

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Thong Nhat Stadium Atmosphere: The Police Fanfare

The new HCMC Police owners went all in on opening night spectacle — popstar pre-match shows, dancers, and fireworks lighting up the Thong Nhat sky.

Official attendance was close to 10,000 — a huge leap from the ~1,000 fans HCMC used to draw. But the reality? Around 80% of the crowd were uniformed police officers, bussed in well before kick-off.

Tickets in the covered main stand were scarce, with a few sold quietly during the day on the Friday before the match when most people were at work. The rest? Reserved for VIPs. It felt more staged than organic. Fake football culture at its finest. My guess is that less than 30% of that number will be back for the next home game.

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On the Pitch: Tien Linh Strikes Early

The Police do have money — and they showed intent by signing national team striker Tien Linh from Binh Duong. He didn’t waste time, scoring inside two minutes.

Hanoi handed a debut to new centre-back Adriel, but the back line still needs time to gel. Physicality has been Hanoi’s weak spot for too long, and even with him in the side, they went into half-time trailing 1–0 despite looking the sharper team overall.

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Half-time Thoughts

Food options? Just one lonely stall. A large group of foreigners in front of me ordered the last 8 cans of cold beer. Luckily, the gates were open, so plenty of fans slipped across the street to Bà Tám’s for a quick beer before returning. Many of the “crowd” left entirely.

Inside, the atmosphere was equally strange. A Police “capo” tried to get chants going as he barked orders through a megaphone like he was directing traffic, while another officer sprinted the curva with a giant flag, trying to spark a Mexican wave. Phones out, heads down, many were not watching the football.

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Võ Huy Toàn doubled the hosts’ lead, before Nguyễn Văn Tùng pulled one back for Hanoi FC. But despite late pressure, the equaliser never came.

And so — Hanoi FC face Hoang Anh Gia Lai next, still searching for their first win. Meanwhile, HCMC Police will be delighted to start their new era with a big scalp in the V.League 2025/26 opener, before heading north to take on Viettel in the capital.