There’s something magnetic about Quang Vinh (Jason Pendant). Perhaps it’s the calm confidence in his voice, or maybe it’s the way he carries both the weight of expectations and the pride of two nations—Vietnam and France—on his shoulders. But once you sit down with the versatile midfielder, what truly stands out is his sincerity. Football isn’t just a job to him—it’s a lifelong passion that began before he even truly understood what it meant to be a footballer.
“I started playing football in kindergarten,” Quang Vinh recalls with a smile. “One day, I told my dad, ‘Can you enrol me into a football academy in the city?’ He saw how much I loved the game and said, ‘Why not?’ That’s how it all started.”
Growing up in France with a Vietnamese mother, Quang Vinh was exposed to the structured development pathways of European football. His dream to turn professional was seeded early.
“The moment I entered an academy, I told myself—I have to become a professional,” he explains. “Every weekend, we’d watch the academy’s professional team play, and I just knew I wanted to be like those footballers.”
CAHN FC’s Quan Vinh in V.League action
His journey has taken him across continents—from France to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, and eventually, to his mother’s homeland: Vietnam. It’s a path few take, but for Quang Vinh, every step has added depth to his game and identity.
“Football lets you see the world. I didn’t want to stay in France my whole life,” he shares. “MLS gave me a new culture, a new footballing perspective. Coming to Vietnam… it wasn’t a completely new environment because of my mom. But football-wise, it was a fresh chapter.”
The V.League, according to Quang Vinh, has its own distinct rhythm—intense, physical, and tactically unique.
“If I compare Europe, the U.S., and Southeast Asia,” he says thoughtfully, “Vietnamese football is very aggressive and contact-heavy. There’s a lot of intensity. But I also noticed some teams adopt time-wasting tactics really early in matches. One game, the opposing team scored in the first 20 minutes and immediately started wasting time—I was shocked!”
That physicality is matched by a technical level that Quang Vinh believes is underrated. “Vietnamese players are skillful,” he adds. “At the ASEAN level, the referees let the game flow more. But in V.League, games are stopped very frequently by the referees. That affects the rhythm.”
Quang Vinh preparing for match day
Still, Quang Vinh believes Vietnamese football is on the right track. “We’ve got talent, and experienced players like Nguyen Quang Hải are mentoring the younger ones. The infrastructure is catching up too—slowly but surely. Five years ago, the conditions weren’t great, but things are improving.”
However, he’s candid about the realities. “One club was even told to play elsewhere because their pitch wasn’t good enough. That tells you there’s still work to do. But I believe in Vietnam’s progress—step by step.”
When asked to compare Vietnam to other Southeast Asian powerhouses like Thailand and Indonesia, Quang Vinh doesn’t speculate. “I can’t really comment because I haven’t played there. But at PVF (Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talent Football Academy), I’ve seen some really hardworking young players. I believe in their future.”
His exposure to regional football includes a brief encounter with Singapore’s Lion City Sailors. “They’ve got some good players,” he admits, “but if they played in the V.League, I think they’d be top-10, not top-5. The league here is tough. Very aggressive. I don’t think they’re physical enough for that level yet.”
Quang Vinh in action against Hai Phong in the V.League
Now firmly embedded in Vietnamese football culture and the national team setup, Quang Vinh has his eyes on silverware.
“I want to win championships. Personally, I want to improve—score more, assist more, be stronger in every area. And for Vietnam, I want us to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup, even the World Cup one day. I know we didn’t make it this time, but we have to keep believing. With our fans behind us, anything is possible.”
His debut for Vietnam, however, was a baptism of fire—a 0-4 defeat against Malaysia.
“It was tough,” he admits. “We trained hard, but we didn’t show our best. It wasn’t the debut I wanted, but it was a lesson. That’s football—sometimes things just don’t go your way.”
As the conversation winds down, Quang Vinh reflects on the legacy he hopes to leave behind.
“I just want to be remembered as a player who always gave 100% for his country. And more than that, as a good person who loved this game deeply.”
From a kid in kindergarten dreaming of football, to a professional playing for Vietnam on the international stage, Quan Vinh’s story is still being written—but the heart behind it is already unforgettable.
This interview is made possible by V.League’s Cong An Hanoi FC. Special mention and appreciation to Mr. Hoang Tri Cong.
