The truly bizarre goings-on in this season’s professional football pre-season continues into the extended pre-season of V.League 2. More mergers. More name changes. I started jotting things down a couple of weeks ago, when the Government’s provincial restructuring first began to influence football. With provinces being combined, it seems in some cases there’s only room for one professional team. Gone too are many familiar city names — Ninh Bình City, for example, is now officially Hoa Lư.
V.League 2 fixtures were finally published on the VPF website just a few days ago. Yet with less than two weeks until kick-off, one team has already withdrawn. That threw the whole thing into disarray. The league has since confirmed the fixtures will be redrawn, leaving us with 12 teams.
For the 2025–26 campaign, two teams will be promoted directly to V.League 1 — no play-offs, just two straight spots. Two teams will also be relegated.
Clubs can register one foreign player. In addition, they are allowed two extra slots for overseas Vietnamese players (not naturalised), and these do not count against the foreign player quota.
Hòa Bình FC → Withdrawn
Less than two weeks before the season, they pulled out. The reason given: “force majeure.” Earlier in the summer there were rumours of a merger and relocation to Hưng Yên. Then, more recently, a move to Phú Thọ. Both plans collapsed. The result: the club has vanished, throwing the league into chaos! At least Khánh Hòa benefit — they were due to face Hòa Bình in the cup this weekend and now advance with a bye.
Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu → Ho Chi Minh City FC
They’ve been rebranded HCMC FC, I’m not 100% sure but I heard apparently linked to the old HCMC FC (now HCMC Police in VL1). Possibly a youth connection. The twist? They’ll play at Bà Rịa Stadium, about 75 km east, out by the coast.
Gia Định FC → Phú Thọ FC
In light of the Hòa Bình mess, Gia Định have made their move. They’ve withdrawn from VL2 before, despite winning promotion a few years back. This time they reappear as Phú Thọ FC, relocating a huge 1,400 km north. Even earlier this week, their shirt manufacturers were still advertising “Gia Định FC” gear for their maiden VL2 campaign
Bình Định → Quy Nhơn United
A simpler case. Bình Định Province has merged with Gia Lai, so “Bình Định” no longer exists. The club remain in the same stadium, now under the ward name Quy Nhơn.
Trương Tươi Bình Phước → Trương Tươi Đồng Nai
Another provincial reshuffle. On paper they’re Đồng Nai now. In reality, they’ll stay put at Bình Phước Stadium for the coming season. That’s good news, as they draw solid crowds there. A move to Biên Hòa seems on the cards for 2026/27, some 85 km away, once the stadium is refurbished.
Ho Chi Minh City Youth FC → Thanh Niên Ho Chi Minh
Still at Thống Nhất. Still financially backed by the league’s main sponsors. With LPBank now also the main shareholders of Ninh Bình (previously Phù Đổng), these two clubs were involved in last season’s fiasco when they literally swapped cities with right before the season kicked-off.
The rest stay the same, at least for now. Former Vleague 1 side Quảng Ninh make a welcome return after dissolving a few years ago, with club heroes Mạc Hồng Quân & Nghiêm Xuân Tú back to lead the charge.
Bắc Ninh FC are newly promoted, well financed, and have already signed players with top-flight experience, and have former national team manager Park Hang-seo as sports advisor, whatever that means.
The rest of the league is rounded out by Đồng Tháp, Khánh Hòa, Long An, PVF-CAND Youth and Văn Hiến University. Twelve teams in all.
It’s chaos, but strangely compelling.
And it’s not only happening in VL2. In the third tier — confusingly called the Second Division — the mergers have already begun. Kon Tum FC from the Central Highlands will become Quảng Ngãi FC, shifting 180 km to the coast. More on this level later… and onwards to this weekends Cup ties.