Vietnam V.League 1

V.League 1 is the top professional football league in Vietnam and the highest tier of the national league system. Founded in 1980, it has grown significantly and today features fully professional clubs with strong fan bases, modern stadiums, and increasing foreign talent. The league is operated by the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF).

History and facts

V.League 1 began in 1980 as the Vietnam National A1 Football Tournament. In the early years, the league was semi-professional and consisted mostly of regional teams.

In 2000, Vietnam made significant structural changes toward professionalism, and in 2001 the league was officially rebranded as the professional V.League.

Today, clubs like Hanoi FC, Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, and Becamex Bình Dương have become powerful brands, contributing national team stars and achieving regional success.

League system

V.League 1 features 14 clubs. At the end of each season, the bottom club is relegated to V.League 2, and the 2nd last team enters a playoff. Promotion and relegation are strictly applied to maintain competitiveness.

Table 1. Vietnam football league pyramid

League	Tier
V.League 1	1
V.League 2	2
Vietnam Second Division	3
Vietnam Third Division	4

Below the 4th tier are regional and amateur leagues.

Stats

Teams with most V.League 1 titles

Table 2. Most V.League 1 titles

Club	Titles
Becamex Bình Dương	4
Hanoi FC	4
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai	2
Đồng Tâm Long An	2
Sông Lam Nghệ An	3

Becamex Bình Dương and Hanoi FC dominate the modern era.

Teams with most top-division participation

Table 3. Clubs with most seasons in Vietnam’s top division

Club	Seasons
Sông Lam Nghệ An	40+
Hanoi FC	20+
Becamex Bình Dương	20+
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai	19+
Haiphong FC	18+

Sông Lam Nghệ An has one of the longest histories in the league.

Audience

Major stadium capacities

Table 4. Major stadiums in V.League 1

Team	Stadium	Capacity
Hanoi FC	Hàng Đẫy Stadium	22,500
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai	Pleiku Stadium	13,000
Becamex Bình Dương	Go Dau Stadium	18,250
Haiphong FC	Lạch Tray Stadium	25,000
Da Nang FC	Hòa Xuân Stadium	20,500

Players

Famous players in V.League 1 history

• Le Cong Vinh
• Nguyen Quang Hai
• Nguyen Cong Phuong
• Le Tan Tai
• Pham Thanh Luong
• Huynh Quang Thanh
• Kesley Alves
• Gaston Merlo

V.League 1 timeline

1980 The Vietnam National A1 Football Tournament is launched.

2001 League is officially professional and renamed V.League.

2013 VPF takes over league operations and modernizes management.

2018 Hanoi FC sets a modern points record.

2022 Vietnamese clubs strengthen participation in AFC competitions.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V.League_1
https://www.rsssf.org
https://vpf.vn