Dinh Bac leads the ASEAN Cup scoring chart, with a clear path to follow in the footsteps of Xuan Son

Nguyen Dinh Bac, a forward for Vietnam, is on the verge of following in the footsteps of fellow countrymen Le Huynh Duc, Nguyen Tien Linh, and Nguyen Xuan Son to claim the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 Golden Boot.

The official website of the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup recently published a detailed analysis highlighting the advantages of Nguyen Dinh Bac and the Vietnamese national team in the race for the top scorer title.

After the group stage concluded, the 21-year-old Dinh Bac leads the scoring list with five goals for the reigning champions, who will face Malaysia in the semifinals.

Dinh Bac scored a hat-trick in the 7-0 victory over Timor-Leste in the opening match, but was substituted before halftime in the home game against Singapore, which ended in a 0-0 draw. He rediscovered his scoring touch in the final group match, bagging a brace against Cambodia, thereby regaining the trust of head coach Kim Sang Sik.

Indonesia's Mitch Baker and Myanmar's Win Naing Tun are tied for second place with four goals each. However, neither will feature in the remainder of the competition—which marks its 30th edition—as their teams were eliminated in the group stage.

Malaysia captain Paulo Josue and Singapore's Ilhan Fandi are the closest challengers to Dinh Bac, both having scored three goals and with at least two more matches in the semifinals to boost their tally in the race for the Yanmar ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 Golden Boot.

Huynh Duc was joint top scorer in the 2002 edition with eight goals, Tien Linh netted six in 2022, while Xuan Son—who has scored two goals in this year's tournament—was the Golden Boot winner in 2024 with seven goals. In that edition, he was also named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

On their quest for a second consecutive title, Vietnam have consistently played an attacking style, registering 74 shots in four matches—the highest among all teams. Of those, 24 were on target.

With Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Hai Long, and Le Pham Thanh Long controlling the midfield, Vietnam have an average ball possession of 57.6% (third best) and a passing accuracy of 88% (best in the tournament).

Vietnam will face Malaysia in the first leg of the semifinal in Kuala Lumpur at 8:00 PM on August 16.

Thailand, who will travel to Singapore for the other semifinal on Saturday, have kept clean sheets in all four matches—the only team not to concede. The Thais have shown solidity thanks to the excellent form of goalkeeper Kampol Pathomakkakul and a sturdy defense marshaled by Pansa Hemviboon and Nattapong Sayriya.

The seven-time champions have also scored 10 goals, with Kakana Khamyok, Teerasak Poeiphimai, and Yotsakon Burapha each contributing two.

Singapore have scored only five goals in the tournament so far, the fewest among the four semifinalists. However, with the 23-year-old Ilhan, the Lions possess a prolific striker capable of deciding a match at any moment.

As the son of legend Fandi Ahmad, Ilhan scored a spectacular scissors-kick winner in stoppage time against Cambodia. Later, he broke free from his marker to head home the opener in a 2-0 win over Timor-Leste. In the decisive match against Indonesia, he calmly chipped the ball home to equalize, sending his team to the semifinals for the third time in four editions.

Winger Pavithran Gunalan has emerged as a young star in Malaysia's run to the semifinals, as the team aims for a second Southeast Asian championship since their sole triumph in 2010. The 21-year-old scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over the Philippines, securing Malaysia's meeting with Vietnam. He also played a key role in the 4-0 victory over Laos with two assists.

Center-back Ubaidullah Shamsul, who has formed a solid partnership with Rodney Celvin in the heart of defense, has been instrumental in the team's build-up play with 283 passes, tied for the most in the tournament. Meanwhile, debutant Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal impressed with a beautiful free-kick goal against Laos and also set up Pavithran's first goal for the national team.

The Yanmar ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 Golden Boot award will be presented at the end of the tournament, alongside the Hyundai ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 Most Valuable Player, the adidas ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 Best Young Player, and the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 Best Goalkeeper awards, celebrating outstanding individual performances throughout the competition.