Xuan Son on crutches attends Golden Ball Gala despite not being nominated, shares surprising things about Tien Linh

Although he has not fully recovered from his injury, Xuan Son still traveled from Nam Dinh to Ho Chi Minh City to attend the Vietnam Golden Ball Gala. Accompanying the player were his wife Marcele and their young son.

On the afternoon of February 25, striker Nguyen Xuan Son and his wife arrived in Ho Chi Minh City to prepare to attend the 2024 Vietnam Golden Ball Awards Gala. Due to a broken leg injury from the 2024 AFF Cup, he still needs the support of crutches to move.

As soon as he appeared at Tan Son Nhat airport, Xuan Son immediately attracted attention and many fans came to take pictures and send their wishes for his return to the field soon. Accompanying the striker born in 1997 was his wife - Marcele Seippel. The WAG possesses a radiant beauty, always smiles when seeing the media lens, and is also very friendly with Vietnamese fans. That is why every time she appears, she takes the spotlight.

The 2024 Vietnam Golden Ball has waited until the end of the 2024 AFF Cup to complete the voting, as this tournament has a profound influence on who will be honored. However, striker Nguyen Xuan Son, who won the title of Top Scorer and Best Player of the 2024 AFF Cup, did not have the opportunity to participate in the competition.

The 2024 Golden Ball Organizing Committee seems to have not fully anticipated Xuan Son's ability to shine, from the time he received Vietnamese citizenship at the Department of Justice of Nam Dinh province on the afternoon of October 5, 2024. That time until the AFF Cup 2024 ends on the evening of January 5, 2025 is clearly not short, there are up to 4 months for the player to show himself.

Statistics have proven Xuan Son's talent since he became a Vietnamese citizen. He scored 7 goals and led the V.League 2024/2025 top scorer list, with 4 goals in the Asian tournament and 7 goals at the AFF Cup 2024. So why is he still not in the Top Ballon d'Or nominees but only in the Best Foreign Player of 2024 category?

Based on the time of contribution, Hoang Duc can be considered to have "given up" the opportunity to win the 2024 Golden Ball, because he did not have outstanding contributions for most of 2024 and had to play in the First Division. However, the midfielder born in 1998 is still highly appreciated for his good performance at the 2024 AFF Cup. Obviously, this tournament played a decisive role in helping him enter the Top 3 and have the opportunity to receive this title for the third time.

In terms of scoring record, Tuan Hai has only scored 1 goal in V.League from October 2024 to present and also scored 1 goal for the Vietnam national team during that time. Is there anything that this guy can compare with Nguyen Xuan Son?

In terms of titles and achievements, Tien Linh is not better than Xuan Son. Binh Duong FC only ranked 9th in V.League 2024, and Tien Linh was only a reserve player for most of the AFF Cup 2024. Meanwhile, Xuan Son won the title of Top Scorer and Best Player of the tournament.

It should be noted that in 2016, the Ballon d'Or nomination rules were adjusted so that midfielder Xuan Truong could participate. Xuan Truong plays for Incheon United and is not included in the Ballon d'Or voting criteria, but the Organizing Committee expanded the criteria to include him in the "89th minute". In the end, the 29-year-old striker won the overall Ballon d'Or.

The organizers have their reasons, but Xuan Son's inability to compete for the 2024 Golden Ball title is an injustice to his own efforts and dedication to Vietnamese football. However, when asked to predict the winner of this title in the final Top 3 nominees, the player still did not hesitate to call out the name of his teammate Tien Linh.

"Tien Linh just had a great 2024. He played well for both his club and the national team, so he has a great chance in the Golden Ball race," said Xuan Son. "The remaining nominees also have many memorable moments, but I think Tien Linh stands out more. I believe he will win this title." The results will be announced at the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards Ceremony taking place tonight, February 26, in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tiến Linh làm điều chấn động lúc Xuân Son dưỡng thương, vẫn bị nói kém Hoàng Đức Tuyết Ngọc09:57:20 11/02/2025Được biết đến là bộ đôi ăn ý trong mùa ASEAN Cup 2024, nhưng hiện tại Tiến Linh đã vượt lên trên Xuân Son sau khi ghi bàn vào lưới Quảng Nam FC. Trước đó, anh còn xuất sắc góp mặt vào Top 5 QBV Việt Nam.