Hoang Duc leads the race for the 2025 Vietnamese Golden Ball award.
After 11 rounds in the First Division, Hoang Duc has 5 goals and 6 assists, helping Ninh Binh lead and maintain a 35-match unbeaten streak; their rivals are inconsistent with the Gala season just over a month away.
The 2025 Vietnam Golden Ball Gala is approaching, and in a year lacking absolute dominance, Nguyen Hoang Duc has emerged as the top contender. His role as the playmaker at Ninh Binh, along with impressive statistics – 5 goals and 6 assists after 11 rounds – puts him in a leading position in the race.
Key features: statistics and impact
As a playmaker, Hoang Duc leads in key statistics among domestic players: 5 goals and 6 assists after 11 rounds, a total of 11 direct contributions to goals – a gap unmatched by any other domestic star at the moment. His influence is evident in the team: Ninh Binh soars to the top of the league table and maintains a 35-match unbeaten streak.
| Index | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of rounds played | 11 |
| Goal | 5 |
| Construction | 6 |
| Total involvement in goals | 11 |
| Club's position | Top of the rankings |
| Unbeaten streak | 35 matches |
The context of the race: lacking a standout star.
A regrettable case is Nguyen Xuan Son, the best player of the ASEAN Cup 2024. A serious injury and his absence throughout 2025 have made the Brazilian striker unsuitable for inclusion in the list of nominees, thus opening up competition but lacking a standout performance throughout the season.
Hoang Duc's rivals: their form hasn't broken through yet.
While Hoang Duc maintains his consistency, many national team key players have yet to reach their desired form. Nguyen Tien Linh – the reigning Golden Ball winner – has only scored 3 goals. Tuan Hai and Quang Hai have similar records, while Gia Hung has only scored 2 times. Collective titles at some clubs are not enough to compensate for the lack of consistent individual contributions.
Other potential candidates for collective titles include Van Vi (Nam Dinh FC), Quang Hai (National Cup, National Super Cup), and Dinh Bac (National Cup, National Super Cup, Southeast Asian U23 Championship winner with the best player award). However, consistency has not been maintained or has been interrupted by injuries, further highlighting the need for continuity in Hoang Duc's performances.
The final window before the Gala
With just over a month until the Gala night, opportunities to score points are limited. The national team only has one match left against Laos, while the V.League is on a break. Only players from CAHN and Nam Dinh have more "stage time" in the AFC Champions League Two and the Shopee Cup. The biggest remaining stage belongs to the Vietnam U23 team at the SEA Games 33. To break Hoang Duc's lead, players like Dinh Bac, Thanh Nhan, or Van Truong need a rare, explosive performance – the kind of effect Quang Hai created at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship.
Current position
In a season without any dominant stars, the professional profile and influence of Hoang Duc – the Ninh Binh playmaker, leading in goal contributions and associated with a long unbeaten streak – is putting him at the top of the race for the 2025 Vietnamese Golden Ball.
