Vietnam set to drop to lowest FIFA world ranking in eight years

According to Football Ranking, two defeats to Indonesia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers took away 30.04 points from Vietnam.

The large number of points deducted is due to the position between the two teams as Vietnam are 105th, 37 places higher than Indonesia.

It’s likely that Vietnam will continue to be the team with the most points deducted and have the biggest drop in the world ranking in April. Previously in February, Vietnam also had the most points deducted (41), leading to a drop of 11 places, down to 105th, ending their 1,905 consecutive days in the top 100 from November 29, 2018, and 2,248 days as the number one team in Southeast Asia, from Dec. 21, 2017.

Nguyen Quang Hai bows his head in disappointment after not getting to play a single minute after two games against Indonesia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

With 115th position, Vietnam will fall out of the FIFA top 110 for the first time since March 2018. This is also Vietnam's lowest position in eight years, since November 2017, when they ranked 125th.

The 3-0 defeat to Indonesia on Tuesday also ended Vietnam's 20-year streak of being unbeaten against this opponent at home. This is also Vietnam's third consecutive loss against Indonesia, after two 1-0 defeats in the 2023 Asian Cup and the 2026 World Cup second qualifying round at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on March 21.

This result also left Vietnam with almost no chance of passing the second qualifying round, forcing the Vietnam Football Federation to terminate the contract with Philippe Troussier early.

This is the second time Troussier has lost his job after losing to Indonesia. The first time was when he coached Qatar and lost 2-1 to Indonesia in July 2004.

On the other hand, two wins against Vietnam are expected to help Indonesia gain an additional 30.04 points, climbing seven places to 135th. This will be their highest position on the FIFA ranking since August 2011.

Thailand will maintain their 101st position to lead Southeast Asia, after a draw and a loss against South Korea. Meanwhile, Malaysia and Philippines both dropped two places, to 134th and 141st. Singapore rose one place to 155th after a draw and a loss to China.

Myanmar also rose two places to 160th after drawing one and losing one to Syria. Following them are Cambodia (180th), Laos (189th), Brunei (194th) and Timor Leste (200th).

The FIFA ranking is important because it is considered the basis for seeding in the qualifying rounds and main events of FIFA tournaments, such as the World Cup and Asian Cup. However, it is not an absolute measure to define the strength and position of a team.