The last time Vietnam rose for more than 4 consecutive periods was over 10 years ago. In 11/2014, the team ranked 138th, then climbed to 137th, 133rd, 132nd, 130th, 125th and 124th, over 6 consecutive periods. This upward trend stopped in 6/2015 when the team dropped three places to 127th.

Central defender Nguyen Thanh Chung leaves the pitch disappointed after Vietnam's loss to Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, on the evening of 10/7/2025. Photo: Hai Tu

One reason for the fewer sustained rises in recent years is the team's improved overall position. Since coach Park Hang-seo brought the team back to the Top 100 in 11/2018, they remained there until 2/2024.

The team hit its lowest point in 9/2024 at 119th, the worst since 11/2017. In the 4 subsequent rankings, Kim Sang-sik's squad climbed to 116th, 114th, and 109th. However, in the FIFA rankings released today, 10/7, the team fell to 113th.

The reason for the drop was the 4-0 defeat to Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur during the final round of Asian Cup qualifiers. The team lost 13.91 FIFA points, dropping to 1,169.92.

In Asia, Vietnam also dropped one place to 20th, behind Lebanon. Japan fell two places to 17th in the FIFA rankings but remained top in Asia.

Southeast Asia no longer has any representatives in the world's Top 100, as Thailand dropped three places to 102nd. The main reason was the 3-1 loss to Turkmenistan in Ashgabat, also in the final qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup. Despite this, Masatada Ishii's team remained top in Southeast Asia, followed by Vietnam.

Indonesia rose 5 places to 118th. Malaysia also climbed 6 places to 125th. These two teams improved their rankings by utilizing most of their main players who have parental or grandparental heritage.

The world's top 5 remain unchanged: Argentina, Spain, France, England, and Brazil. Following their UEFA Nations League victory, Portugal moved up to sixth, pushing the Netherlands down to seventh. Italy dropped two places to 11th, while Croatia returned to the Top 10.

Mexico, after winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup, climbed 4 places to 13th. However, the strongest team outside Europe and South America remains Morocco, at 12th. The African team reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup after eliminating Spain and Portugal.

The FIFA rankings are the basis for seeding teams participating in FIFA or AFC tournaments. Vietnam's highest position was 84th in 9/1998. FIFA currently ranks 210 teams, with San Marino at the bottom.

Xuan Binh