Vietnam was once a leading force in the game and won the 1959 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. They also made the final rounds of the Asian Cup competition in 1956. A decline in form followed for some years but in recent times, they have emerged from the days of being considered an easy team to one that must be treated seriously.

Vietnam have shown marked improvement and are now capable of taking on the others in the Southeast Asian region. They proved this in the SEA Games and the Tiger Cup competitions. In 1995, at the SEA Games in Chiagmai, the whole country exploded into celebration when Vietnam, unexpectedly, qualified for the final. People celebrated and jammed the streets of the city. Vietnam finished second but still it was an excellent result for the country.

In the 1997 SEA Games, Vietnam stunned once Asian giants Malaysia 1-0 in a group match and advanced to eventually finish third overall after beating Indonesia in the playoff. The following year, Vietnam finished behind Singapore in the Tiger Cup final.

Vietnam has introduced semi-professional football this season.