Throughout 2025, the Vietnamese government carried out a sweeping series of provincial mergers aimed at reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies, streamlining administrative operations, and laying the groundwork for long-term sustainable growth. These reforms saw the number of provinces shrink from 63 to just 34. However, one unintended consequence of the mergers was a dramatic reshaping of the nation’s football landscape.
Defending V.League 1 champions Thep Xanh Nam Dinh, long the sole representatives of Nam Dinh Province, suddenly found themselves sharing a market with newly-promoted Ninh Binh FC after Nam Dinh was absorbed into neighboring Ninh Binh Province. Backed by LPBank, the new Ninh Binh FC—seen by many as a spiritual successor to the now-defunct XM The Vissai Ninh Binh—stormed to the V.League 2 title in 2024/25, powered by national team stars such as Dang Van Lam, Nguyen Hoang Duc, and Dinh Thanh Binh.
Looking to make an immediate impact in the top tier, Ninh Binh further bolstered their squad with Chau Ngoc Quang, Nguyen Duc Chien, and Brazilian striker Gustavo Henrique. Their ambition was clear: to not only establish themselves in the V.League 1 but also to challenge their new provincial rivals Nam Dinh, who field a star-studded team of their own.
In Central Vietnam, another fierce rivalry was rekindled as SHB Da Nang and Quang Nam FC found themselves under the same provincial umbrella for the first time since 1997, following Quang Nam’s reintegration into Da Nang Province. The renewed proximity promises to add extra intensity to an already heated footballing feud.
But nowhere were the effects of the mergers more profound than in Ho Chi Minh City.
The administrative incorporation of Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Provinces into Ho Chi Minh City, alongside the absorption of surrounding provinces into Dong Nai, Dong Thap, and Tay Ninh respectively, reshaped the entire southern footballing map. As a result, Ho Chi Minh City became home to five clubs across the top two tiers of Vietnamese football.
In response to the merger, Becamex Binh Duong rebranded as Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, while Ho Chi Minh City FC revived the historic name Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC—honoring the legacy of the original club that existed from 1978 to 2002. This paved the way for Ba Ria-Vung Tau FC to assume the mantle of Ho Chi Minh City FC, creating a layered identity reshuffle within the city’s footballing scene.
Completing the quintet were Gia Dinh FC and Van Lang University FC, both based in the city proper and newly promoted to the V.League 2, making Ho Chi Minh City a footballing epicenter like never before.
Elsewhere in the V.League 2, newly-relegated Quy Nhon Binh Dinh relocated to Gia Lai following the merger of Binh Dinh into the latter. Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc now shares a local derby with Dong Nai FC, Long An FC finds itself redefined under Tay Ninh’s jurisdiction, and Hoa Binh FC has moved operations to Phu Tho after their original province ceased to exist.
As Vietnam’s football clubs adjust to their new geographic and administrative realities, 2025 marks a turning point not just in governance but in sporting identity. Regional pride, local rivalries, and club loyalties are being reshaped in real time, setting the stage for one of the most unpredictable and intriguing football seasons in the country’s history.