This afternoon, after the warm-up, Becamex TP HCM players gathered in a circle at the center of the pitch. There, Tien Linh said his goodbyes, wiping away tears.

After bidding farewell to his teammates and coaching staff, the 1997-born forward went up to the Binh Duong stadium stands to say goodbye to a group of fans.

Tien Linh is expected to join a club in the south in the next few days.

Nguyen Tien Linh (number 22) playing in the Binh Duong vs. Quang Nam match, which ended in a 0-0 draw in the 2024-2025 V-League, at Binh Duong Stadium, 11/5/2025. Photo: Duc Dong

Born in 1997 in Hai Duong, Tien Linh moved with his family to Binh Duong (now TP HCM) at the age of 9. In 2010, he joined the Binh Duong training academy. Six years later, he was promoted to the first team to compete in the V-League.

The striker has scored 71 goals in 147 V-League matches, twice earning the title of "Top Domestic Scorer" (15 goals in the 2018 season and 13 goals in the 2024-2025 season). In the recent season, he appeared to have won the top scorer title, but the V-League Organizing Committee later announced a statistical error regarding one goal. As a result, Linh dropped to second place, while Alan Sebastiao (Cong An Ha Noi) and Lucao (Hai Phong) shared the title.

Tien Linh has yet to win the V-League, but he has won the 2018 National Cup and the 2016 National Super Cup. He played during Binh Duong's decline after their two V-League championships in 2014 and 2015.

Tien Linh has been a familiar face in the national teams since 2015. From the U19, U20, U22, U23, to the national team, he has been a top choice in the attack. Linh has scored 25 goals in 62 matches for the national team, ranking third in the list of all-time top scorers. The top two are former strikers Le Huynh Duc (27 goals) and Le Cong Vinh (51).

He was part of the winning squads for the 2018 and 2024 ASEAN Cup (formerly AFF Cup), along with two gold medals at the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games.

Tien Linh's highest individual award is the 2024 Vietnam Golden Ball. Previously, he won the 2022 Silver Ball and the 2021 Bronze Ball.

Tien Linh's departure is a loss for coach Nguyen Anh Duc's squad before the new season. Becamex TP HCM previously parted ways with central defender Que Ngoc Hai a year early, along with a series of players like Nguyen Hai Huy, Nghiem Xuan Tu, Nguyen Thanh Long, and others.

Minh Khue