Not called up to the Vietnam national team, the world top-60 prodigy keeps scoring goals.

Young talent Tran Gia Bao keeps scoring for HAGL as he cannot serve the U19 Vietnam team.

Unable to join U19 Vietnam for the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship due to club commitments, Tran Gia Bao has nevertheless become the most talked-about figure in Vietnamese youth football. The 2008-born striker keeps making his mark in the V-League with HAGL, proving that the mountainous team's decision to keep him in Pleiku is fully justified.

In round 25 of the V-League, Gia Bao came off the bench against Hanoi FC when HAGL were trailing. Within just a few minutes on the pitch, this young forward created a turning point by sprinting down the right flank, forcing Nguyen Thanh Chung to score an own goal. Shortly after, Gia Bao continued to unsettle the capital side's defense as he bypassed Pham Xuan Manh before calmly finishing, making a major contribution to HAGL's 3-1 comeback victory, which also achieved their survival target early.

In round 26, although HAGL lost 1-3 to Becamex Ho Chi Minh City, Gia Bao still stood out as the brightest spot. The 18-year-old striker again got his name on the scoresheet, marking the first time he has scored in back-to-back rounds since his V-League debut. This is also clear evidence of the remarkable progress of a young talent regarded as a great hope for Vietnamese football in the future.

In this season alone, Gia Bao has scored 3 goals in 22 appearances for HAGL. Notably, most of his appearances have come from the bench. His impressive scoring rate and ability to create game-changing moments in short spells have earned him increasing trust from the coaching staff of the mountainous team, despite his very young age.

Gia Bao's rise had already been recognized internationally when, at the end of 2025, he became the sole representative of Vietnamese football on The Guardian's "Next Generation" list, which includes 60 of the world's most promising young talents. Prior to that, this striker also made headlines as the youngest player in history to score in the V-League and once found the net against Japan's U17 team while playing for Vietnam's youth sides.

While Gia Bao consistently shines in the V-League, the U19 Vietnam team is facing many difficulties at the ASEAN U19 Championship. Missing HAGL's key striker up front, Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi's squad lost to U19 Indonesia in the final group stage match and finished second in the group. Given the current situation, the U19 Vietnam team faces the risk of early elimination, which makes many people regret that one of the most outstanding young stars of Vietnamese football could not accompany the national team in this tournament.