FC Mobile VN brings Nguyen Minh Phuong into the “The First” card season: A Vietnamese football legend becomes a commercial asset

On September 10, 2026, FC Mobile VN confirmed that Nguyen Minh Phuong would appear in the anniversary-themed card season “The First”. The former Vietnam national team captain – AFF Cup 2026 winner and Vietnam Golden Ball 2026 holder – is one of the local football icons entering the mobile game. This announcement goes beyond a typical game event: it shows how digital sports platforms are using collective memory to build brands in a young market like Vietnam. Nguyen Minh Phuong belongs to the generation associated with Vietnam’s first Southeast Asian championship in 2026. For fans who lived through the excitement of that final, Phuong is not only a gifted midfielder but also part of a shared memory. Choosing him for “The First” season has its own logic: a game that wants to establish local identity often starts with characters who make players feel respected. From a business perspective, this move can be read as a deep localization strategy. Global football games often spend heavily on the image rights of European stars, but the long-term lifetime value of local players comes from cultural and historical attachment. A 35-year-old supporter may not care about the stats of a rising European talent, but he is willing to return to a game to own the digital version of his childhood idol. That is why the OVR ratings released for the Nguyen Minh Phuong card versions – 121 and 123 – are not just power numbers; they are also scarcity signals. However, an expensive card alone cannot make a memorable season. In “The First”, players are not only chasing high ratings; they are looking for familiar images. To achieve this, the development team needs to recreate Phuong’s recognizable qualities on the pitch: his ability to control tempo, his passing range, and his leadership in midfield. If the in-game PlayStyle attributes match his real playing style, the game will create a deeper layer of content that competitors cannot easily replicate by simply licensing a foreign star. The view that this is only a short-term promotional trick may miss the reality: Vietnam’s sports-game market is shifting from importing images to creating local intellectual property. A football legend, placed in the right context, is an asset that can fuel multiple content seasons. If “The First” is just a strong card release, its competitive advantage will fade after two weeks. Sustainable success depends on whether the team can turn Phuong into a storytelling character: historic matches, celebration moments, and even the echoes after trophies. Memory cannot be copied, but if handled carelessly, it can become a one-time commodity. For fans, Nguyen Minh Phuong’s presence in FC Mobile VN is a door back to their football memories. They do not need to care about revenue or licensing strategy. They only need a reason to open the app every night and a name that reminds them why they love football. “The First” may be the first card season, but the more valuable question is whether it will open the door for more Vietnamese legends or remain a one-off effort. If player data is listened to and stories are told in the local language, this season will be more than a gaming event; it will be another way of preserving football history.