Foreigners amazed at how Vietnamese watch Euro football

"I never expected Vietnamese people to be so passionate about football," the 31-year-old German engineer living in District 3 said.

Fabian, who had come with three friends to watch Germany's final group stage match, noticed that nearly every bar and restaurant had added LED TVs and projectors.

Some people were wearing their favorite team's jersey and the gathered crowds were cheering every goal.

"What surprised me even more is that Vietnamese people watch almost every match," Fabian says. "In Germany, we only watch our national team."

Having lived in Vietnam for eight months, he had initially thought the Euro would not be a big event here.

But after going out he quickly realized he was wrong: posters with Euro 2024 fixtures and other information were plastered on every wall at eateries and cafes; Vietnamese fans discussed teams and players with great knowledge while back in Germany he would only follow the scores and watch major matches like the semi-finals and finals.

A restaurant with projectors and posters for customers to follow the Euro 2024 football tournament in District 1, HCMC. Photo by Ngoc Ngan

For Lennartz, 53, a Dutch engineer, Vietnamese are true football "fanatics." He remembers his early days in Vietnam and neighbors cheering every goal loudly.

When he asked curiously which team they supported, he received a surprising answer: "We love every goal."

"This impressed me," the man living in HCMC’s Thu Duc City says. "In Europe, people don't celebrate goals by all teams."

Lennartz and his grandson are fans of Dutch football club Feyenoord Rotterdam. Lennartz finds it interesting how the Vietnamese watch football together. He understands drinking while watching football is part of the culture. People have neighbors and friends over to have eat and drink beer together.

Before matches, he is often asked, "How much can you drink?" and the toasting is non-stop. Vietnamese also love discussing football, he finds. "Through conversations, I realized they know Dutch teams and players better than I do."

Lennartz watches a football match with Vietnamese fans in 2018. Photo courtesy of Lennartz

Last week he had gone to take part in a running event in the central beach town of Quy Nhon, and watched football alone in his hotel room and felt lonely.

He realized he had become accustomed to the Vietnamese way of watching football.

Six years ago he wore a headband and went out to cheer for the Vietnamese national football team. The Dutchman felt that "the spirit and love" of football bonded Vietnamese people. On Tuesday he reserved a table in a bar in Thu Duc City to watch the Netherlands and France match.

A bar on Bui Vien Street, District 1, HCMC has installed over a dozen screens for customers to watch the Euro 2024 football tournament. Photo by Ngoc Ngan

Many bars, restaurants and coffee shops in HCMC, particularly on Bui Vien, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Tran Hung Dao Streets in District 1 and Vo Van Tan, Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Pham Ngoc Thach Streets in District 3 have installed projectors and large TVs to meet the demand for viewing Euro matches.

An employee at a bar on Bui Vien Street says there is a 10-15% increase in the number of customers since the start of the Euro.

The bar has installed five TVs and more tables. The peak viewing times have been 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. On weekends the street is packed and people have to jostle for seats.

Dean from the U.K. says he is a football fan but unable to stay up late to watch like the Vietnamese. "They watch more matches than we Europeans do," he says.

He is amazed that his colleagues can forgo sleep to stay up late and watch football, and then come to work the next day. "Vietnamese people enjoy and relish every match. It's fascinating to witness their passion."