Nguyễn Quang Hải, the captain of the Vietnam national football team, has been ruled out of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 due to an ankle injury. The injury was confirmed during a medical examination on September 22, which also indicated that he had been experiencing signs of overexertion after continuous play for both the national team and his club, CAHN, over the past two months.

Born in 1997, Quang Hải has made significant contributions to the Vietnamese national team, holding two records: the most Southeast Asian championships won (2018, 2024, and 2026) and the most appearances for the team with 88 matches. He played a crucial role in Vietnam's recent successes, including a 2-0 victory against Malaysia in the semifinals of the ASEAN Cup 2026.

Quang Hải's football journey began at the Hanoi FC youth academy, where he excelled through the ranks to the U19, U20, U23 teams, and eventually the senior national team. His notable achievements include finishing fourth at the 2016 U19 Asian Championship, which qualified Vietnam for the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, winning the U23 Asian Championship silver in 2018, and clinching the AFF Cup in 2018. Additionally, he has a complete set of club titles, including five V-League championships, three National Cups, and four Super Cups.

Before returning to Vietnam in mid-2023 to play for the Hanoi Police Club, Quang Hải had a stint in France with Pau FC in Ligue 2. Following his injury, head coach Kim Sang-sik has called up Võ Hoàng Minh Khoa from the Becamex TP HCM team to replace him. Minh Khoa, born in 2001, was part of the U23 Southeast Asian Championship-winning team in 2023 and participated in the U23 Asian Championship finals in 2024 in Qatar. He made his national team debut in a 5-0 win against Laos in the final qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup on March 25, 2025.

In addition to Quang Hải's absence, Nguyễn Thành Chung from Hanoi FC has also withdrawn from the squad due to overexertion and injury risks. As a result, the Vietnam team has reduced its roster from 25 to 23 players, making nine changes. The remaining squad includes goalkeeper Đặng Văn Lâm, defenders Nguyễn Văn Vĩ, Đoàn Văn Hậu, Khổng Minh Gia Bảo, Đinh Quang Kiệt, midfielder Nguyễn Ngọc Mỹ, and forward Nguyễn Trần Việt Cường. New additions to the team include goalkeeper Nguyễn Văn Việt, defenders Cao Pendant Quang Vinh, Nguyễn Adou Leygley Minh, Lê Ngọc Bảo, midfielder Ngô Đăng Khoa, Võ Hoàng Minh Khoa, and forward Williams Minh Hoàng.

The Vietnam national team, under the guidance of coach Kim Sang-sik, has gathered in Hanoi and will hold their first training session this afternoon before traveling to Indonesia. Vietnam's opening match in Group B of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 is scheduled for September 26 against the Philippines, followed by matches against Thailand on September 29 and Pakistan on October 2. The team's goal is to finish first in the group to advance to the finals against the top team from Group A.