In the 5th minute of added time, Nguyen Xuan Son scored a diving header from a cross by Truong Tien Anh. The forward's timely goal broke a stalemate, securing a 2-0 victory in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals.

Xuan Son surpassed Nguyen Tien Linh, becoming the first Vietnamese player to score 6 goals in the ASEAN Cup knockout rounds. Five of Son's goals came from the 2024 tournament: 3 against Singapore in the semi-finals and 2 against Thailand in the final.

Nguyen Xuan Son's goal against Malaysia.

In contrast, Tien Linh scored 2 goals against Singapore in the 2024 semi-finals. His remaining 3 goals were from the 2022 tournament: 2 against Indonesia in the semi-finals and one against Thailand in the final.

Xuan Son's 6-goal achievement equals that of midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin and former forward Wooratwut Srimaka. He is only 2 goals behind Teerasil Dangda. All three players represent the Thailand national team.

The victory against Malaysia boosts Vietnam's chances of reaching the final. Xuan Son will have the semi-final second leg and two potential final matches to break Teerasil Dangda's record.

Brazilian-Vietnamese forward Nguyen Xuan Son celebrates his opening goal in the 5th minute of first-half added time during Vietnam's 2-0 victory over Malaysia in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals, at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 16/8. Photo: Duc Dong

Across 2 ASEAN Cup tournaments, Xuan Son has scored 10 goals in 10 matches. The tournament's overall scoring record belongs to Teerasil Dangda with 25 goals. Among Vietnamese players, Xuan Son trails Tien Linh by 3 goals, former forward Le Huynh Duc by 4 goals, and Le Cong Vinh by 5 goals.

The Nam Dinh Club forward debuted for the Vietnam national team in a 5-0 victory over Myanmar during the ASEAN Cup 2024 group stage on 21/12/2024. He has since scored 14 goals in 14 matches, placing him 7th on the national team's all-time scoring list.

Le Cong Vinh leads the list with 51 goals. He is followed by: Le Huynh Duc (27), Tien Linh (26), Nguyen Hong Son (18), Nguyen Van Quyet (16), and Nguyen Quang Hai (15).

Maintaining his current scoring rate of one goal per match, Xuan Son could match Huynh Duc's achievement. However, Cong Vinh's record remains a difficult peak to reach.

Hieu Luong