The ceremony was attended by leaders from the Nam Dinh Department of Justice, Nam Dinh FC, and Rafaelson's family, including his wife.

After receiving his citizenship, Rafaelson expressed his gratitude, saying: "My family is living in Vietnam; this is my second homeland. I am truly happy to become a citizen of Vietnam."

"I would like to thank General Secretary and President To Lam, the leaders of various ministries in Vietnam, Nam Dinh province, and Nam Dinh FC for supporting me in making my dream come true. I promise to strictly adhere to the laws of Vietnam and do my utmost to contribute to Vietnamese football."

Born in 1997 in Brazil, Rafaelson started his football career in Vietnam in 2020. In the 2023-2024 season, he had an outstanding performance, helping Nam Dinh FC win the V-League title.

He achieved a hat-trick at the V-League Awards 2023-2024, winning titles for Best Player, Top Scorer (31 goals in 24 matches), and Best Goal. In the 2023 season, Rafaelson was also the top scorer with 16 goals while playing for Binh Dinh FC.

After meeting all requirements, Rafaelson was supported by Nam Dinh FC in completing his naturalization process ahead of the 2024-2025 season.

On September 20, he received the official decision for Vietnamese citizenship signed by General Secretary and President To Lam, adopting the name Nguyen Xuan Son.

Dai Nam