LaLiga, EA Sports launch youth football talent search in Vietnam

The initiative, aimed at discovering and nurturing young football talent, will see around 200 male and female footballers under 16 compete at Gia Dinh Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Thanh District from Friday to Sunday.

Eight players will be selected to represent Vietnam at a training camp in Spain.

The program, which seeks to identify promising players globally, will also involve participants from Spain, South Africa, Singapore, and Mexico.

Thanh Bui, founder of the LaLiga Vietnam Football Academy, described the program as “a little seed” that plants the dream of one day playing for Real Madrid.

“We cannot compare Vietnamese football to LaLiga, as they are miles ahead,” Thanh said.

“However, my goal is for Vietnam to develop well-trained players who can compete globally, like Mbappé,” he added, referring to Kylian Mbappé, the French football star.

Thanh, who worked hard to bring the initiative to Vietnam, noted the program’s significance.

“Both LaLiga and EA Sports view this as the first step in a long journey,” he said.

The program offers eight fully funded scholarships from LaLiga, four for male players and four for female players under 16.

The eight selected will be chosen from 200 candidates based on evaluation by LaLiga coaches regarding ball control, tactical thinking, and sportsmanship.

Pablo Casaos, LaLiga’s representative in Vietnam, highlighted that the program is open to all young footballers, not just those from professional academies.

The selection process will include skills assessments, fitness tests, tactical understanding, and full match play, with the ultimate goal of sending the selected players to a training camp in Spain.