V. League's highest-valued star accompanied by wife at Vietnamese citizenship ceremony

The Department of Justice in Hanoi hosted the ceremony on Tuesday to present the footballer with his certificate. A Vietnamese passport and identity card were also issued to him.

Nguyen expressed in Vietnamese his joy at becoming a Vietnamese citizen and committed to "make every effort to contribute to my homeland."

He reportedly initiated the Vietnamese citizenship application process nine years ago. However, it was only after moving to Vietnam and beginning to play for Cong An Ha Noi FC that he fulfilled the naturalization conditions.

Goalkeeper Filip Nguyen (second from right) with his father (far right), wife, and son, receiving his Vietnamese citizenship certificate. Photo from Cong An Ha Noi FC’s Football

Now recognized as a Vietnamese citizen, Nguyen is eligible to participate in the 2023 Asian Cup, should he be selected for the national team. Coach Philippe Troussier has included his name in the preliminary list of 50 players for the tournament, which was submitted to the Asian Football Confederation.

"I have heard about the preliminary list of the national team," he said. "However, I am currently focused on performing well at Cong An Ha Noi. If called up, I will do my utmost to assist the national team in reaching new achievements."

Born to a Vietnamese father and Czech mother, Nguyen, 31, graduated from Sparta Prague’s youth football academy. He played for the club before moving on to other teams, including Bydzov, Vlasim, Slova Liberec, and Slovacko.

In the 2018-19 season, he was named the best goalkeeper in the Czech First League.

He was called up for the Czech Republic national team for their 2022 World Cup campaign preparations. However, he did not play in any matches, which keeps him eligible to represent Vietnam.

The world’s most renowned football valuation and transfer website Transfermarkt estimated his transfer value to be 600,000 euros (US$655,700), making him most valuable footballer in Vietnam.