Brian Jeffrey
Influential Brothers in Football and Business
Nguyen Xuan Thuy, a notable football club leader, and his brother Nguyen Duc Thuy, who has made significant investments in the sport, highlight the influential Thien family. This family consists of seven siblings, many of whom are successful business figures with substantial assets, especially in the football sector.
Nguyen Van Thien, born in 1970, leads the Xuan Thien Group. His visibility increased this year when he pledged support for Nguyen Xuan Son, a player injured during a 2024 ASEAN Cup match against Thailand.
Nguyen Xuan Son, originally named Rafaelson Fernandes from Brazil, moved to Vietnam in 2019, joining Nam Dinh Football Club and later catching national attention with seven goals in the ASEAN Cup.
Thien notably kept Son from joining a Saudi Arabian team at the end of the last season. Son also acquired Vietnamese citizenship on September 20, 2024.
As the president of Xuan Thien Group, Thien supports Thep Xanh Nam Dinh Club. In 2022, a substantial sponsorship deal worth VND200 billion was sealed, facilitating the recruitment of talented players like Van Toan and Hong Duy.
Thien’s younger brother, Nguyen Duc Thuy, born in 1976, has also carved a niche in business and football. As the former president of XuanThanh Group, he led the Sai Gon Xuan Thanh Football Club to significant successes before its dissolution in 2013.
Thuy’s business ventures recently included a cooperation agreement with LPBank and HAGL Club, reflecting a comeback for the billionaire brothers.
The trio gained recognition for their financial contributions to football and other ambitious projects, positioning them among Vietnam’s wealthiest individuals, with luxurious assets like supercars and villas in Ninh Binh.
Nguyen Duc Thuy was the founder of Thaiholdings JSC and served in prominent positions at several companies, including ThaiGroup and Kim Lien Tourism JSC. Although he no longer holds shares in Thaiholdings, he made significant financial strides previously.
By early 2025, Thuy’s LPB shares were valued significantly, while he made headlines in 2021 for funding a project aimed at conducting Vietnam’s first spaceflight from Phu Quoc.
Nguyen Van Thien, meanwhile, has ambitious plans for investing billions across various sectors including energy, real estate, and logistics, already overseeing numerous power projects with a total capacity of 2,000MW.
