Nguyen Dinh Bac has officially carved his name into history as the first Vietnamese footballer to win the golden boot at a continental tournament, finishing as the top scorer of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.

The tournament concluded with Japan convincingly defeating China 4-0 in the final to claim the championship. Vietnam, meanwhile, closed out an impressive campaign with a third-place finish, while the fair play award went to South Korea.

But it was Dinh Bac who delivered the tournament’s biggest highlight for Vietnamese football. The 22-year-old striker, born in 2004, scored four goals and added two assists, directly contributing to six of Vietnam’s goals during the tournament held in Saudi Arabia.

Under AFC regulations, if multiple players have the same number of goals, the golden boot is awarded based on number of assists, followed by total minutes played. Both Dinh Bac and Japan’s Sato registered two assists, but Dinh Bac edged ahead by playing only 409 minutes, compared to Sato’s 451.

As a result, Dinh Bac clinched the award, outpacing other contenders like Azaizeh and Shahin, who had neither assists nor a better minute-per-goal ratio.

Dinh Bac’s stats also broke national records. His total of six goal contributions is the most by any Vietnamese player in a single U23 Asian Cup edition, surpassing Nguyen Quang Hai’s five-goal tally in 2018. He is now the first Southeast Asian player ever to win the golden boot in this prestigious tournament.

More than a personal triumph, Dinh Bac’s achievement signals a new era of ambition and potential for Vietnamese youth football. The 2026 U23 Asian Cup ends with Japan lifting the trophy, but Vietnam walks away with pride - and a new star on the rise.