The referee officiating the Vietnam vs. Cambodia match caused a stir on social media for being too young and handsome.

Not a player or a moment on the pitch, but the main referee Cheung Wai Lung was the surprise name that dominated social media following Vietnam's 3-1 win against Cambodia in the ASEAN Cup 2026. The Hong Kong (China) referee caught everyone's eye with his young looks, striking features, and a style just like a university student.

The 3-1 victory over Cambodia helped the Vietnamese team finish the ASEAN Cup 2026 group stage as the top team in Group A. However, after the final whistle blew, fans' attention was not solely on coach Kim Sang Sik's players.

On social media, images of the head referee Cheung Wai Lung were suddenly shared at a rapid pace. What made the Hong Kong (China) referee the center of attention was not his professional decisions on the field, but rather... his extremely youthful appearance.

Wearing the striking yellow referee uniform, Cheung Wai Lung appeared with a bright face, fair skin, a gentle smile, and a youthful look. Every time the TV camera zoomed in on him, the social media comments section immediately filled with countless questions about the referee's identity.

"Is he really a referee?", "Why does he look so young?", "Give us the info on this referee!", "How can a referee be this handsome?"... These were the comments left by netizens.

"The director kept zooming in on him, after watching I only remember the guy in yellow," "I was watching football but felt like I was watching the male lead of a youth drama," "I need the referee's Facebook!"... These playful remarks quickly spread, turning Cheung Wai Lung into one of the most mentioned figures on social media after the match.

After an online search by the community, the identity of the viral referee was quickly determined.

Cheung Wai Lung, born on February 13, 1995, is a referee from Hong Kong (China). At 31 years old, he belongs to the group of relatively young referees on the international stage.

Cheung Wai Lung has been recognized by FIFA as an international referee since 2026 and is currently being given opportunities by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to officiate at various regional tournaments.

Despite his young age, Cheung Wai Lung has experience in officiating matches. According to shared statistics, in the 2025/26 season, he refereed 10 matches and issued a total of 47 yellow cards. This number partly shows that his "gentle student-like" appearance does not mean an easygoing style of officiating on the pitch.

Cheung Wai Lung is also not a stranger to Vietnamese football. In March 2026, the Hong Kong referee was assigned to officiate the friendly match between the Vietnam national team and the Bangladesh national team at Hang Day Stadium during the FIFA Days. This was the second time Cheung Wai Lung appeared in a match involving the Vietnamese national team in 2026.

In the clash against Cambodia on the evening of August 7, the referee born in 1995 generally managed the match quite smoothly. Without any major controversial decisions, Cheung Wai Lung almost silently completed his duties.