V. League 2025-2026: Building Vietnamese professional football in a new era

14-many-new-nets-of-v.league.jpeg — The new season of V.League promises to be exciting. Photo: VPF

Many new points in V-League 2025-2026

Accordingly, the 2025-2026 V. League National Professional Football season is expected to start from August 9, 2025 with the 2024-2025 National Super Cup and end on June 28, 2026 with the National Cup Final. With the National Championship, Loc Phat Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank ( LPBank ) continues to accompany the tournament as the main sponsor. The 2025-2026 National Football Championship (V.League LPBank 2025-2026) is expected to start from August 15, 2025.

V.League LPBank 2025-2026 has the participation of 14 professional clubs: Becamex Ho Chi Minh City (renamed from Becamex Binh Duong Club), Hanoi Police, Ho Chi Minh City Police (renamed from Ho Chi Minh City Club), Dong A Thanh Hoa, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Hong Linh Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh (renamed from Phu Dong Ninh Binh Club), Quang Nam , SHB Da Nang, Song Lam Nghe An, Thep Xanh Nam Dinh, The Cong Viettel.

With a two-legged round-robin format (home and away), the season will consist of 26 rounds with a total of 182 matches. The total prize value for the three leading teams is up to 9.5 billion VND, promising to create more motivation for fair and fierce competition.

The opening match of the season is the 2024-2025 National Super Cup, taking place on August 9, while the National Cup final will close the season on June 28, 2026.

V. League 2025-2026 regulations stipulate that teams can only use a maximum of 3 foreign players at the same time on the field. Photo: VPF

One of the new highlights of this year's season is the relegation rule: two teams will have to leave the national top flight after the end of the season, increasing competition at the bottom of the table.

In addition, the mechanism for using foreign players has also been adjusted. Accordingly, clubs participating in continental tournaments of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are allowed to register a maximum of 7 foreign players, while the remaining clubs are allowed to register 4 foreign players. However, in each match, all teams are only allowed to use a maximum of 3 foreign players at the same time on the field - a balance between professional requirements and the development of domestic players.

The time for player registration at the beginning of the season will take place before 5:00 p.m. on August 1, 2025. Meanwhile, V. League 2025-2026 will have 2 transfer phases with Phase 1 from July 15, 2025 to September 14, 2025; Phase 2 from January 25, 2026 to March 17, 2026.

V-League 2025-2026 will have many more exciting derby matches. Photo: VPF

Many exciting derbies

In addition, with the merger of provinces and cities from July 1, 2025, V.League 1-2025 - 2026 will have more intra-provincial derby matches, opportunities to develop the image of the tournament as well as expectations for changes in football management and development to suit the capacity and actual conditions of the localities; in addition to the increase in traditional fan teams, with identity, brand, and associated with local traditions.

VPF Company has built codes for teams from the same province to meet each other in the first rounds of the first and second legs, at the same time to ensure the organization of work related to VAR, live television and serve the audience to watch the match in the best way.

All 182 matches of the season will continue to be broadcast live byFPT Play on all platforms – from terrestrial television, satellite, IPTV, internet, to mobile applications and social networks – ensuring comprehensive audience service in the digital age.

In addition, the official match ball Terra UVI 2.07 – FIFA Quality Pro standard – will continue to be used this season. This is a product of Dong Luc Sports Group, a unit that has accompanied Vietnamese professional football for many years. “Made in Vietnam” balls like Terra have contributed to thousands of exciting matches at both men’s and women’s levels and youth levels.

Not only limited to the ball, the 2025-2026 season also witnessed the appearance of a new referee and supervisor uniform model under the brand JOGARBOLA - a sports fashion brand from Japan, with optimal materials for professional competition.

VPF Company representative affirmed: “With the close attention and direction from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam Sports Department, and the support of the Vietnam Football Federation, strategic sponsors, media agencies and especially the clubs and local organizers, we believe that the 2025-2026 national professional football season, especially LPBank V.League 1-2025-2026, will be successfully organized, continuing to affirm the progress of Vietnamese football in the period of integration and development.”

On the journey to upgrade the tournament, careful preparation in terms of expertise, organization, technology and communication is an affirmation of the aspiration to build a modern, attractive and closely connected V.League with the community. LPBank V.League 1-2025-2026 is not only a playground for football teams but also a symbol of a professional football that is rising in the new era.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/v-league-2025-2026-xay-dung-nen-bong-da-chuyen-nghiep-viet-nam-trong-ky-nguyen-moi-709074.html