Vietnam naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son calls Thailand's Supachok 'idiot' after ASEAN Cup final

Following the second leg of the final on Sunday, which saw Vietnam claim their third ASEAN Cup title with a thrilling 3-2 win over Thailand (5-3 on aggregate), Son was unable to join his teammates on the podium to lift the trophy due to his severe injury.

In the first half, after an attempt to make a pass inside the box, Son fractured his right leg. He left the field on a stretcher and was transferred to a hospital nearby.

The 27-year-old forward was taken back to Vietnam to prepare for surgery on Monday and although the injury was serious, his humorous and playful personality stayed the same.

On the Facebook page of the ASEAN Football Federation, Son reacted to a photo of Sarachat being comforted by his girlfriend after the match. He then left a simple and cheeky comment: "Idiot", along with a series of emojis.

A screenshot of Vietnam naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son leaving a comment for Thailand midfielder Supachok Sarachat on Facebook after the ASEAN Cup final on Jan. 5, 2024

The comment reminded football fans of Lionel Messi’s infamous remark during the 2022 World Cup when Argentina beat the Netherlands in a dramatic quarterfinal. After the match, Messi called Dutch striker Wout Weghorst a "bobo" (idiot in Argentinian) in an interview, a moment that quickly became a viral trend.

Sarachat was criticized heavily after the ASEAN Cup game when he scored a controversial goal against Vietnam that was deemed not fair play. In the second half, Vietnam goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu threw the ball out of play to allow medical staff to take care of Nguyen Hoang Duc.

When the game resumed, Thailand had a throw-in, but instead of returning the ball to Vietnam as a gesture of fair play, the players pressed forward. Sarachat received the ball and quickly took a shot from about 30 m to give Thailand a 2-1 lead amid the confusion of Vietnam players.

Nguyen Xuan Son shows love for the fans after the 3-1 victory over Singapore in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup semifinals on Dec. 29, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Luong

This is not the first time that Son showed his humor with his social media antics. Earlier in the tournament, after scoring twice in the first leg of the final, he poked fun at Thailand defender Chalermsak Aukkee, who said he did not know about Son before the match. The Brazilian-born striker took to Facebook and wrote" "Nice to meet you, my name is Nguyen Xuan Son!"

Son, whose Brazilian name is Rafaelson Fernandes, received Vietnamese citizenship in September. He became the first naturalized player without Vietnamese ancestry to be called up to the national team since 2009.

He played a crucial role in Vietnam’s journey to the 2024 ASEAN Cup title, scoring seven goals in just four matches and providing two assists. As Vietnam became champions, he was also named MVP and top scorer of the tournament.