Dinh Bac immediately topped China's trending topics, causing a frenzy among netizens over the 'number 7 player'.

Ahead of the highly anticipated U23 Asian Cup semi-final between Vietnam and China on January 20th, the excitement isn't limited to the pitch; it's also erupting on social media platforms in China.

The name Nguyen Dinh Bac is becoming a trending topic, drawing admiration from netizens in other countries.

The "clash" between two young stars

The highlight of the upcoming semi-final match is the direct confrontation between two extremes: on one side, Li Hao (2004) – the only "steel shield" who hasn't conceded a goal in the tournament, and on the other side, Nguyen Dinh Bac (2004) – the "goal-scoring machine" with the second-best record in this year's U23 Asian Championship.

On platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, Chinese netizens constantly compared the statistics of these two players. Posts comparing the techniques and performance of Ding Bei and Li Hao garnered enormous engagement, turning the match not just into a battle between two teams but also a battle to determine the class of two top young talents in the region.

The keyword "Ruan Tingbei" is trending.

The appeal of the striker from Nghe An is so great that his Chinese transliteration – "Ruan Tingbei" – has officially become a top trending search term on Douyin. A series of related keywords such as: "Nguyen Dinh Bac's profile", "Vietnam U23's number 7 player", "Which club does Dinh Bac play for?"... have all climbed the search rankings.

Under the highlight videos of the 2004-born striker, netizens in China showered him with praise: "This guy used to 'tease' the Japanese defense at the Asian Cup, right? His technique is truly impressive!" "His stamina and shooting posture remind me of the Brazilian prodigy Pato." "His current transfer value is too low compared to his actual ability." "He looks just like a Korean actor; he's both a great player and handsome!"

Many Chinese football fans admit that they've been captivated by Nguyen Dinh Bac since his superb goal against Japan at the 2023 Asian Cup and his crucial strike against Saudi Arabia in this year's tournament. Some even proudly commented: "The truth is, we currently don't have a player like Nguyen Dinh Bac."

The miraculous "genetic breaking" journey of the 1.5m tall player.

Few people know that, to gain international recognition, Dinh Bac went through an inspiring journey of overcoming difficulties. Having been outright rejected by the SLNA training academy because of his modest physique (only 1.50m tall), Dinh Bac did not give up on his passion.

He joined Quang Nam FC, working hard to "break through his genes" and achieve breakthroughs in both height and footballing intelligence. From the title of Best Player in the 2023 First Division to the SEA Games 33 gold medal in 2025, Dinh Bac has proven himself to be an irreplaceable asset in Coach Philippe Troussier's squad and at the youth levels.

With his brilliant form and the special attention he's received from the foreign media, Nguyen Dinh Bac is expected to continue shining in the semi-final match on January 20th. Will the "killer" number 7 be able to breach Li Hao's net and help the Vietnam U23 team continue their fairytale story?

The answer will be revealed after the upcoming dramatic match. But one thing is undeniable: Nguyen Dinh Bac is a name that guarantees the appeal of Vietnamese football on the regional map.

Li Hao: The Chinese U23 goalkeeper, soon to face Vietnam, is being called a "mobile Great Wall". Hoàng Phúc19:40:45 18/01/2026On the Douyin platform (a social network similar to TikTok in Vietnam), information related to goalkeeper Li Hao (born in 2004) is trending, garnering over 10 million views in just the morning of January 18th and increasing every second.