Hanoi, May 15, 2025 – Following the resounding success of previous seasons, particularly the last three with the support of Saigon Beer – Alcohol – Beverage Corporation (SABECO) through the Bia Saigon brand and other sponsors, Vietnam Football Joint Stock Company (VietFootball) officially announces the National 7-a-side Football Championship Bia Saigon Dragon Cup 2025 (VPL-S6) with the largest-ever scale in the history of semi-professional 7-a-side football tournaments in Vietnam.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that SABECO, through the Bia Saigon brand, has supported VPL as a strategic partner. This collaboration not only enhances the image, scale, and prestige of the tournament but also demonstrates SABECO's commitment to promoting an active balanced lifestyle, fostering community connection, and igniting national pride through sports.
Since the 2022 season, with the support and collaboration of SABECO, VPL has gradually elevated its image, scale, prestige, and influence - expanding from 3 to 5 regions. The number of sponsors has also gradually increased each year, with more than 100 large and small companies supporting the tournament in 2024. Additionally, last year recorded over 200,000 spectators at the venues and more than 45 million live views across various platforms. These impressive figures reflect the growing public interest and prestige of the tournament within the football-loving community.
This year, the tournament will officially kick off on May 18 across 8 regions nationwide, including: Northern Region (Hanoi); Southern Region (Ho Chi Minh City); Central Highlands (Gia Lai); Southwestern Region (Can Tho); Northeastern Region (Hai Phong); North Central Region (Nghe An); Central Region (Da Nang); and South Central Region (Khanh Hoa). The winners from each region will compete in the grand national finals held in Hanoi at the end of July.
A total of 60 teams are expected to participate in 248 matches, an increase of nearly 100 matches compared to the 2024 season. This is a clear testament to the tournament’s growth and professionalization over time, affirming the position of VPL-S6 as the largest-ever 7-a-side tournament supported by the Vietnam Sports Authority (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism).
Notably, this year's tournament marks the first time a special showmatch will be held, giving the best talents from grassroots football a chance to team up with professional stars, national team players, and former players, thus inspiring and igniting passion in the younger generation. This will be one of the key activities helping VPL fulfill its role as a high-profile festival for football enthusiasts.
In addition, this year, SABECO and VietFootball will continue the story of promoting and elevating Vietnam's unique 7-a-side football with the third season of the international 7-a-side championship. Set to take place in August, the next tournament will feature representatives from the region and beyond, including Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Under VietFootball’s consistent objectives and direction throughout 13-year journey as a pioneer in building and developing the 7-a-side football format – a “specialty” of Vietnamese football, VPL – with the partnership of SABECO – aims to affirm its position as the leading and prestigious 7-a-side football championship, contributing significantly to laying a strong foundation for Vietnam’s football.
As one of the leading sustainable enterprises in Vietnam, SABECO considers sports as a crucial part of its commitment to sustainable development, promoting an active lifestyle while enhancing cultural foundations and community solidarity.
Mr. Lester Tan - General Director of SABECO – said: “At SABECO, we consider sports as a powerful platform for nurturing national pride, resilience, community bonding, and spreading positive values within society. Therefore, through the Bia Saigon brand, since 2022 SABECO has been accompanying numerous sporting events in Vietnam generally, and the Vietnam National Football Team specifically. VPL is one of the long-term community sports initiatives that SABECO not only supports as the main sponsor but also collaborates with VietFootball as a strategic partner. We would like to elevate the grassroots 7-a-side football, a sport deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture, to greater heights. This is also how SABECO realizes its commitment to community development and contributes positively to the sustainable development of the country.”
Sharing about the strategic partnership with Bia Saigon and the new season, Mr. Pham Ngoc Tuan – General Director of VietFootball and Head of the Organizing Committee – stated: "We are deeply grateful and proud to have Bia Saigon as our strategic partner. As the national beer brand, Bia Saigon has continuously served as the title sponsor of the National 7-a-side Football Championship (VPL) over the years, helping to elevate 7-a-side football into a beloved and widely recognized format across Vietnam. With Bia Saigon’s dedicated investment, the VPL has achieved remarkable growth year after year, both in scale and quality. Notably, the 2025 season will mark the largest edition in the tournament’s history, with competitions taking place across eight regions nationwide. VietFootball firmly believes that, with Bia Saigon’s unwavering commitment and long-term support, we will continue to expand the reach and impact of the VPL and the 7-a-side football format throughout Vietnam. Together, we aim to build a strong foundation for Vietnamese football, while also inspiring the sporting spirit and national pride — all in pursuit of a stronger, more resilient Vietnam in this era of growth and ambition."
With the slogan "Football for the Community," VPL-S6 continues to spread the spirit of sports, ignite passion for football, and promote an active lifestyle within the community. The tournament receives support from the Vietnam Sports Authority, the Vietnam Football Federation, the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with partners, and especially the strategic collaboration with SABECO through Bia Saigon brand.
Additionally, this is a practical activity in response to the "World Football Week" initiated by FIFA and the United Nations (May 21–25, 2025) with the theme "Together, We Are Stronger”. Through that VPL underscores the role of football in connecting communities, transcending boundaries of culture, language, and nationality.