Nguyễn Công Phượng (born 21 January 1995) is a Vietnamese professional footballer who plays as a forward or an attacking midfielder for V.League 1 club Đồng Nai City.
Công Phuợng is lauded as "Vietnamese Messi" by fans and the media due to his playing style and physique, Công Phượng is one of the most promising football talents in Vietnam. He is a product of HAGL – Arsenal JMG Academy and was promoted to Hoàng Anh Gia Lai senior team in 2015. Công Phượng was voted in 2015 as the "Best Young Player of the Year". He has played in Belgium, South Korea and Japan.
Công Phượng was born on 21 January 1995 in Mỹ Sơn, Đô Lương District, Nghệ An Province. He is the fifth child out of 17 children of Nguyễn Công Bảy and Nguyễn Thị Hoa; his family was poor when he was growing up.
Công Phượng has been interested in football since his childhood. Around the age of 5, he started to play football using a ball made of straw with his 2-year-older brother Nguyễn Công Khoa, who later drowned in 2004 at the age of 9.
Công Phượng first started his proper football training at the age of 10 when he was introduced to the Đô Lương district sport center by a local football coach Trương Quang Vinh. In 2006, he played for the Đô Lương District youth team at Nghệ An province's football competition. Impressed Song Lam Nghe An's staff at the competition, Công Phượng was invited into Sông Lam Nghệ An youth team but after a month of trial, he wasn't accepted because he didn't meet the weight requirement. Công Phượng's weight at that time was only 25.4 kg, while the minimum requirement was 30 kg and 27 kg for special cases. In 2007, upon hearing the news about HAGL – Arsenal JMG Academy recruitment program, Công Phượng persuaded his parent to bring him to Pleiku, where HAGL – Arsenal JMG Academy based for the try-out. He was one of the only 14 candidates who was accepted in to the academy out of about 7 thousand candidates from all over the country in the first selection.
In June 2010, Công Phượng and Nguyễn Tuấn Anh were the only two players from HAGL– Arsenal JMG Academy that were invited to a 15 days overseas training program in Cambodia. It was a training program for top players of JMG Academy from all over the globe.
In November 2012, Công Phượng along with Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, Lương Xuân Trường, Trần Hữu Đông Triều were four of the players from the academy received the invitation to train with English Premier League side Arsenal under-17 team. In the letter, Arsenal's performance supervisor, Steve Morrow stated that manager Arsène Wenger was impressed with the academy's players when they beat Oxford United under-17 team in January 2013.
In winter 2014, HAGL – Arsenal JMG Academy team defeated Nepal U21 3–0 in the International U21 Thanh Niên Newspaper Cup final. A double by Công Phượng secured the crown for his team.
In 2015, Hoàng Anh Gia Lai revolutionized their first team, the club released most of their players in the senior team, only a few players was kept to guide young player from the academy. Công Phượng was promoted to first team along with other academy's player from the first selection. Công Phượng was given number 44 shirt instead of number 10 which he always wore when play for academy team and national U–19 team.
Công Phượng made his V.League 1 debut on 4 January 2015 at the opening game of the season against Sanna Khánh Hòa. HAGL won this game 4–2 as Công Phượng scored a brace. Công Phượng scored another brace at the eighth round against Đồng Tháp. Công Phượng finished 2015 season with 6 goals in 25 appearances, he was club's leading goalscorer and had second most appearance. On 6 January 2016, Công Phượng won the 2015 young player of the year award, beating his club mate Nguyễn Tuấn Anh who won it the previous year and Hà Nội's player Đỗ Duy Mạnh.
After one season in Japan, Công Phượng returned to HAGL to play in 2017 V.League. He scored 7 goals in that season.
2018 season: Outstanding individual performance
2018 was one of his best season for HAGL. Công Phượng scored 12 goals at league and 4 goals at domestic cup.
Although his club just finished 11th at the end of season, Phượng was still selected in V.League's Team of the season by his performances.
Công Phượng returned to the club after his loan contract with Hồ Chí Minh City get expired, followed by the arrival of the new coach Kiatisak Senamuang.
Phượng and HAGL was on fire that season, they were top of the table after 12 rounds, but the season was cancelled due to COVID-19. He had 6 goals after 12 matches in that campaign.
2022 season: Last year at Pleiku
2022 was his last season at HAGL. On 19 April, Phượng got an assist in 1–1 draw against Sydney FC at 2022 AFC Champions League group stage. He just scored 5 goals in 24 matches, all of them were in the league.