Vietnam national team must be cautious if using naturalized player against Malaysia

Coach Kim Sang Sik is confronted with a prudent assessment concerning the playing eligibility of a naturalized defender before the imminent clash with Malaysia.

In late 2025, Brazilian-born defender Gustavo Sant'Ana was officially granted Vietnamese citizenship and given the new name Do Phi Long. Standing at 1.95m tall and with experience from multiple V.League seasons, this player is quickly seen as a potential reinforcement for the Vietnamese national team's defense in the upcoming FIFA Days, especially the rematch against the Malaysian national team in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers on March 31st at Thien Truong Stadium.

However, behind the professional expectations lies a notable legal issue. According to FIFA regulations on player eligibility for national teams, a naturalized citizen without ancestral ties must meet the condition of having “continuously resided for at least five years after turning 18 within the territory of the relevant association.”

Do Phi Long came to Vietnam in early 2019 when he joined The Cong Viettel and played continuously in the V.League. His total time living and working in Vietnam has now exceeded five years. However, in late 2021, after parting ways with a domestic club, this defender returned to Brazil to play for Anapolis and competed in the Goias state championship.

It was not until July 21, 2022, that he returned to the V.League with Thanh Hoa and has played consistently since. This period of absence from Vietnam is becoming a point of contention. Many domestic sports news outlets suggest that if this is considered an interruption of the "continuous residence" condition, the five-year calculation could be affected.

Some analyses even hypothesize that the time might need to be recalculated from his return to Vietnam in mid-2022, meaning he might only complete the condition by 2027. However, this is merely a cautious interpretation, as FIFA regulations do not specify an automatic "reset" mechanism when a player leaves a country temporarily.

In practice, assessing continuous residence often depends on specific case details and how the governing body reviews each situation. Given that FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation have handled many cases following complaints, the risk of dispute if fielding a player whose eligibility is not entirely certain is something the Vietnamese national team must carefully consider.

In the worst-case scenario, if a complaint is filed and the player is deemed ineligible, the team could face a 0-3 forfeit loss under international regulations. Nevertheless, this remains a cautionary hypothesis. Given the prudence shown in previous cases, the Vietnam Football Federation will likely conduct thorough checks and work closely with FIFA before making a final decision.