1 week ago
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Vietnam-Brazilian striker Nguyen Xuan Son was honored with the Best Foreign Player award at the 2024 Vietnamese Golden Ball on Wednesday night, which he attended with crutches as accompanied by his wife Marcele Seippe.
Son wore a suit, bow tie, and earrings for the event, while Seippe wore a white dress and stayed close by his side.
The 27-year-old striker, who fractured his right leg during Vietnam's 3-2 victory over Thailand in the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final on Jan. 5, used sandals for convenience and crutches for support.
After undergoing surgery in Hanoi, Son is expected to need about eight months for full recovery. He spent two weeks in a Hanoi hospital before returning to his home in Nam Dinh to continue his recovery and celebrate the Lunar New Year. He later returned to Hanoi to resume his recovery.
The Brazilian striker, known for his curly hair, has become a prominent figure in Vietnamese football over the past year. Fans and guests at the event frequently asked him for autographs and photos.
Although Son was the top scorer in the V-League last season and also in the 2024 ASEAN Cup, he was not nominated in the Men's Golden Ball category. The organizers explained that he had only completed his naturalization in September 2024, so he spent most of the year playing as a foreign player.
Instead, he was nominated for the Best Foreign Player award, alongside midfielder Hendrio (Nam Dinh FC) and striker Alan Sebastiao (Cong An Ha Noi).
After entering the auditorium, Son met fellow striker Nguyen Tien Linh, with whom he shared many moments of success at the 2024 ASEAN Cup.
Once settled, Son continued to be sought after by fans for autographs.
As expected, Son won the Best Foreign Player award. Due to his injury, the 2017 Miss Universe Vietnam, H'Hen Nie, announced the award on stage and then went down to Son's seat, along with a member of the organizing committee, to present him with the award.
Tien Linh's dream eventually came true as he won the Golden Ball later on.
Linh wore a tuxedo and bow tie to the event with his parents and younger brother.
"I have attended the Golden Ball awards ceremony before, but have never won first place," Linh said. "This will be a source of pride and a reward for a long time of effort."
Another Golden Ball candidate, Nguyen Hoang Duc, wore a suit with a vest and tie and attended with his parents. This was his fourth time at the awards ceremony, but he still felt excited.
"All the candidates here tonight deserve to win the Golden Ball," said Duc.
The remaining Golden Ball candidate, striker Nguyen Tuan Hai (L), also wore a tuxedo and attended alone, taking a photo with former star player Nguyen Hong Son.
Tran Thi Thuy Trang (C) won the Women's Golden Ball.
She is currently one of the standout players for Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnam national women's futsal team.
