V-League 2026: SHB Da Nang Crowned Champions and the Wider Picture of Vietnamese Football

The Eximbank V-League 2026 season ended with SHB Da Nang taking the title. It was the second championship in the history of the club from the Han River, after their first triumph in 2026, and a landmark moment in the coaching career of Le Huynh Duc. Tactically, SHB Da Nang pursued a direct attacking style built around Argentine striker Gaston Merlo as the focal point of the attack. The coaching staff designed a fast transition system that exploited the pace of the wide players and Merlo's finishing inside the penalty area. Stability in midfield allowed the Han River club to control the tempo and hold the initiative in most of their matches across the season. In terms of results, SHB Da Nang stayed in the leading group throughout the campaign and finished in first place. Hanoi T&T, their closest rival, ended the season as runners-up, producing a title race that lasted until the final rounds. The Eximbank V-League 2026 season ran from the start of the year until August 2026. Financially and in the transfer market, the 2026 season revealed a clear gap in resources between clubs. Big-budget sides such as SHB Da Nang and Hanoi T&T could sign quality foreign players, while many other clubs had to cope with limited resources. Dependence on foreign signings also raised the question of balancing short-term results against the development of young domestic talent. In terms of governance and management, the SHB Da Nang board maintained stability in personnel and transfer policy, giving the coaching staff room to work over the long term. The alignment between club leadership, the head coach and the squad was regarded as a key factor that helped the club avoid the upheavals common in Vietnamese football. From a media perspective, SHB Da Nang's title drew strong interest from fans and the press. Performance pressure is ever-present for the leading clubs, and the 2026 season was no exception. Alongside the champions' joy, the season also exposed risks around financial stability and competitive quality at a number of clubs within Vietnam's professional league system. More broadly, the V-League 2026 reflected Vietnamese football at a stage of transition: clubs were gradually professionalising their management, youth development and communications work, yet a gap remained between the leading group and the rest. SHB Da Nang's success in 2026 was therefore not merely a trophy, but an example of how a club can operate consistently to achieve high results.