The Futsal Planet recognition is well-deserved for the 1997-born player following his exceptional showing during the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2021. Ho Van Y contributed significantly as Vietnam progressed into the World Cup knockout stage in Lithuania last October.
Ho Van Y is the youngest nominee and one of the only two Asian goalkeepers on the list, alongside 1987-born Alireza Samimi who once finished third in the FIFA Futsal World Cup together with the Iranian national squad.
This is the second time Ho Van Y has been named on Futsal Planet’s shortlist for world’s best goalkeeper of the year. He was previously nominated in 2018.
The other nine candidates include Andre Deko Pereira Coelho (Brazil), Didac Plana Oltra (Spain), Federico Perez Garrigos (Spain), Thiago Mendes Rocha Guitta (Brazil), Leonardo De Melo Vieira Leite Higuita (Brazil/Kazakhstan), Nicolas Sarmiento (Argentine), Dmitri Putilov (Russia), Alireza Samimi (Iran), and Willian Felipe Dorn (Brazil).
In addition to the Futsal Planet nomination, Ho Van Y swept many different titles after returning from the World Cup campaign. Most recently, he was honoured as one of the 14 outstanding young citizens of Ho Chi Minh City in 2021, and among the outstanding Vietnamese athletes of the year.
Ho Van Y is currently a favourite for the Vietnam Futsal Golden Ball 2021 Award, to be announced next month. He took the Silver Ball Award twice in 2018 and 2020.
