V.League and the hierarchy after the first 3 rounds

V.League 2025-2026Only three rounds have passed, but the situation has somewhat taken shape as the heavily invested teams have begun to show their strength. Among them, names like Cong An Ha Noi, Thep Xanh Nam Dinh and especially Ninh Binh FC are showing that they are truly the top candidates in the race to the championship.

Most notable is Ninh Binh FC – the rookie of this year's season. Not only bringing a breath of fresh air with a modern style of play, this team also possesses a squad of extremely high-quality players such as Rodrigues Gustavo Henrique, Daniel Da Silva Dos Anjos, Geovane Magno, Nguyen Hoang Duc and Nguyen Duc Chien. With 3 wins, scoring 10 goals and only conceding 2, Ninh Binh FC is sitting comfortably at the top of the table and is soon sending a challenge to the rest of the V.League.

Similarly, Hanoi Police are also having a very impressive start. Despite facing tough opponents such as The Cong Viettel or Hanoi Club, the 2023 V.League champion still won 2 matches and drew 1 match, scoring 8 goals. With quality reinforcements, especially the "blockbuster" contract Stefan Mauk, the Police team continues to show that they are the biggest rival in this season's championship race.

Meanwhile, Nam Dinh Green Steel, despite not having an impressive start, still managed to win 2 out of 3 matches. With the most expensive squad in V.League and an even depth of players, the Southern team can accelerate at any time. Once "in the groove", Nam Dinh Green Steel is capable of defeating any opponent, and they are certainly still the top candidate for the championship.

In addition to the above "giants", football teams such asHai Phong Club, Ho Chi Minh City Police, The Cong Viettel or Hong Linh Ha Tinh are also quietly accumulating points to rise up. Among them, Ho Chi Minh City Police and Viettel are ambitious teams, possessing stable forces and disciplined playing style. It will not be surprising if they enter the top group in the near future.

In contrast to the rise of the heavily invested teams, Hanoi Club is becoming the biggest disappointment of the season. The schedule is not too difficult, but the capital team only won 1 point after 3 matches, including a humiliating 2-4 loss to Hanoi Police and at one point was trailing 4-0. Those results are clearly not worthy of their experienced squad and the depth of their force.

However, the upcoming break of V.League could be a valuable opportunity for Mr. Hien's team to make tactical adjustments and revive their spirit, especially when their goal is nothing other than winning the championship on the occasion of the club's 20th anniversary.

On the other hand, the relegation group is gradually emerging with familiar names. Hoang Anh Gia Lai continues to decline when it only won 1 point after 3 rounds and especially has not scored any goals. After losing a series of pillars, the mountain town team is clearly facing a crisis in both force and playing style.

The situation is not much better for SHB Da Nang. The Han River team has not been able to improve its performance compared to last season. Despite heavy investment in the summer transfer window, they have only had 1 point after 3 rounds, showing the deadlock in the playing style and tactics of coach Le Duc Tuan.

The most worrying is probably Dong A Thanh Hoa. Not only has their playing style not yet been defined under coach Choi Won Kwon, the Thanh team has also suffered a serious loss when captain Doan Ngoc Tan suffered a serious injury. Recently, they have also had to face a crisis at the top when Chairman Cao Tien Doan got into personal trouble. This will be a challenging period for Que Ngoc Hai and his teammates.

Meanwhile, teams likeLam River Nghe An, PVF-CAND or Becamex Binh Duong had a not too bad start, but still need to try to accumulate points through each round to avoid falling into a tense relegation battle in the later stages.

After the first 20 matches, V.League 2025-2026 has witnessed 55 goals, an average of 2.75 goals/match - an impressive number reflecting the openness, attractiveness and fierceness of the tournament. The fact that teams have invested heavily in the transfer period has improved the professional quality, while turning V.League into an increasingly worth-watching playground.

With what has been shown in the first 3 rounds, fans can fully expect a fiery season, where there is no room for subjectivity, surprises can always happen and drama until the last minutes of the season.