Brazilian striker, top scorer of V. League, applies for Vietnamese citizenship

The Department of Justice of Nam Dinh Province has sent a report to the Nam Dinh People’s Committee, confirming Rafaelson’s citizenship application on Thursday.

The department also confirmed that the 27-year-old striker has not violated the law and all of his documents are complete and valid.

Rafaelson moved to Japan to play for Vegelta Sendai in J1 League in 2018, after failing to find opportunities to flourish in his home country. He was then loaned to Danish club Naestved for two seasons.

In 2020, Rafaelson moved to Vietnam and played for Nam Dinh FC, SHB Da Nang and Binh Dinh FC. During this spell, he scored a total of 33 goals in four seasons.

Brazilian striker Rafaelson executes an acrobatic shot during a V. League game. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa

In the 2023-2024 season of V. League, Rafaelson returned to Nam Dinh and made a major contribution to the team’s title-winning campaign. With 31 goals, he is the player who scored the most goals in a V. League season and was included in the best XI. He also won awards for best player and best goal.

Rafaelson was the second player to score five goals in a V. League match, when Nam Dinh beat Thanh Hoa FC 5-2 on May 26. Nguyen Dinh Viet scored five goals for Hoang Anh Gia Lai in a V-League match in 2007.

Rafaelson said that he considers Vietnam his second home, as he has brought his wife and children to live with him in Nam Dinh and is actively learning Vietnamese. He is set to use Nguyen Xuan Son as his Vietnamese name.

Many foreign players have been naturalized after years of playing in Vietnam, with notable names including Fabio dos Santos and Kesley Alves from Brazil, Samson Kayode Olaleye from Nigeria, and Gaston Merlo from Argentina.