Vietnam stadium listed among best in Southeast Asia

By Hoang Nguyen May 5, 2020 | 08:30 pm PT

A wide-angle shot of My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi. Photo courtesy of Asian Football Confederation.

My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi has been named among the top five in Southeast Asia by the Asian Football Confederation.

The centerpiece of Vietnam’s National Sports Complex, the multi-purpose venue with a capacity of 40,192, was opened in 2003 and used for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup in Southeast Asia.

In 2018 Vietnam defeated Malaysia to lift the AFF Cup, their first in 10 years, before their adoring fans at the stadium.

Also making the top five list are Stadium Australia in Sydney, Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The AFC said stadiums are more than just iconic architectures, and are in fact homes to clubs, fans and, in some cases, the home venues of national teams.

In 2007, when the Asian Cup was held across Southeast Asia, the My Dinh Stadium hosted all but one of the group B games. Vietnam defeated the United Arab Emirates 2-0 in their opening match and advanced to the last eight as group runners-up behind Japan.

In October this year the stadium will undergo a VND150 billion ($6.4 million) renovation to prepare for the 31st SEA Games to be held next year. The national sports complex has upgraded the track and field.