According to the FIFA ranking released on 1/4, Thailand stands at 93rd, while Vietnam is 99th. Previously, the last time Southeast Asia had two teams in the Top 100 was in October 2005, when Singapore was 95th and Indonesia 98th. At that time, Thailand was ranked 101st and Vietnam 113th.
The last time Thailand and Vietnam were both in the Top 100 was in October 2004, at 74th and 96th respectively.
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Tuan Hai competes for the ball with Suphanat during the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand, on the evening of 5/1/2025. Photo: Hieu Luong
FIFA recognized Vietnam as having the strongest ascent in the recent announcement, both in terms of ranks (9) and points (36,17). This was primarily due to the team being awarded a 3-0 win against Malaysia in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifier on 10/6/2025, earning 24,12 points. Coach Kim Sang-sik's squad also defeated Bangladesh 3-0 in a friendly match on the evening of 26/3, then overcame Malaysia 3-1 in the final round of the Asian Cup qualifiers on the evening of 31/3, securing an additional 12,05 points.
However, this is not Vietnam's fastest rise in history. In January 2007, the national team climbed 38 ranks, from 172nd to 134th.
In the same announcement, FIFA confirmed Malaysia experienced the sharpest decline in both ranks (17) and points (59,67). They lost 9,67 points from a defeat at Thien Truong Stadium and 50 points from default losses to Vietnam and Nepal in the Asian Cup qualifiers. Peter Cklamovski's team consequently dropped to 138th.
The FIFA ranking on 1/4 is expected to be the criterion for seeding groups for the Asian Cup 2027 group stage draw. The draw ceremony was scheduled for 11/4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but has been postponed due to the Middle East conflict. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has not yet determined a replacement date.
Based on the current ranking, Vietnam and Thailand are placed in group three, while Indonesia and Singapore are in group four. Being in group three means the two Southeast Asian representatives will avoid facing Bahrain, China, Palestine, and Tajikistan in the group stage.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 |
| Saudi Arabia Japan Iran South Korea Australia Uzbekistan | Qatar Iraq Jordan UAE Oman Syria | Bahrain Thailand China Palestine Vietnam Tajikistan | Kyrgyzstan North Korea Indonesia Kuwait Singapore Lebanon/Yemen |
The Asian Cup 2027 finals will take place from 7/1 to 5/2 in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar in Saudi Arabia. 24 teams will be divided into six groups, with four teams in each, playing a single round-robin format. The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the Round of 16.
In the previous tournament, under coach Philippe Troussier, Vietnam lost all three group stage matches against Japan, Indonesia, and Iraq.
Xuan Binh
