Vietnam's national team gains more strength to face Malaysia; The truth behind Mbappe's announcement that he will not participate in the 2026 World Cup.
Coach Kim Sang-sik has more quality personnel options for the Vietnamese national team; The truth about Mbappe's announcement that he will not participate in the 2026 World Cup... These are some of the prominent sports news stories in the past 24 hours.
Thai football is far ahead of Vietnam in the continent.
The Asian Football Confederation has determined the eight teams that will advance to the quarter-finals of the 2025/26 AFC Champions League Two, and Vietnamese football is left out of the final squad.
The list of teams participating in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 has been officially finalized after the round of 16 concluded. Thailand impressed with two representatives in the quarter-finals, while Vietnam has no teams participating.
The first leg of the quarter-finals will take place from March 3-5, while the second leg will be held from March 10-12.
Vietnam's national team gains more strength to face Malaysia.
Coach Kim Sang-sik now has more quality personnel options in the Vietnamese national team as they prepare for the rematch against Malaysia at the end of March.
After the Lunar New Year holiday in his home country of South Korea, coach Kim Sang-sik returned to Vietnam to prepare for the first training camp of the national team in 2026, with the highlight being the rematch against Malaysia on March 31st, as part of the final qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup.
In this match, coach Kim Sang-sik was unable to call up young striker Dinh Bac due to an AFC suspension; however, the South Korean strategist had many other quality options.
Notably, in addition to the return of key striker Nguyen Xuan Son, coach Kim Sang-sik may call up three other naturalized players who are eligible to play for the Vietnamese national team: Do Hoang Hen (Hendrio, Hanoi FC), Do Phi Long (Gustavo Santos, SHB Da Nang), and Patrik Le Giang (CA TP.HCM).
The €75 million "blockbuster" player wants to leave the Premier League.
Nick Woltemade is going through a challenging period at Newcastle United as he has yet to adapt to the Premier League environment.
Joining the North East England team with high expectations, the 24-year-old German striker was seen as a long-term investment for the attack. However, the harsh realities of English football have caused him more difficulties than anticipated.
According to Fichajes, the high intensity of play, the fast pace of the game, and the fierce competition within the squad have left Woltemade with few opportunities to showcase his abilities. His technical style and ability to combine with teammates seem better suited to a more stable environment like the Bundesliga. Besides technical factors, language barriers, cultural differences, and psychological pressure also significantly affect the player's confidence.
"The Woltemade family revealed that the player has never felt comfortable since arriving in England," the Spanish newspaper reported.
Although Woltemade has gone goalless in the Premier League since the end of December 2025, Newcastle still highly value his potential, but acknowledge that his adaptation process hasn't gone as planned. The lack of playing time has made it difficult for him to regain his best form. At 24, Woltemade understands that he needs a more familiar environment to restart his career.
The truth behind Mbappe's announcement that he will not participate in the 2026 World Cup.
A video allegedly showing Kylian Mbappe stating his refusal to participate in the 2026 World Cup in the US due to human rights concerns is circulating on social media.
In the video, the French striker is accused of making shocking statements such as: "I will not play football in a country that treats people like animals" or asserting that he would not play in the US "no matter how much gold they offered." The clip has attracted millions of views on social media platforms, sparking much controversy.
However, this information is completely false. The video circulating online has actually been digitally altered using artificial intelligence (AI). The images in the clip match Mbappe's press conference with the French national team on June 7, 2025, when he and the team were preparing for the UEFA Nations League third-place match against Germany.
During that press conference, Mbappé only mentioned Paris Saint-Germain's victory in the Champions League, calling it "completely deserved," without mentioning the 2026 World Cup or the immigration situation in the United States.
