Malaysia surpass Indonesia in FIFA ranking

Midfielder Arif Aiman (yellow jersey) during the 5-1 win of Malaysia over Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia, on Oct. 14, 2025. Photo by FAM

Malaysia gained 13.3 points, moving up five places to 118th, following two wins over Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Indonesia lost 13.21 points and dropped three places to 122nd after losing 2-3 to Saudi Arabia and 0-1 to Iraq in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The last time Indonesia ranked below Malaysia was in February 2024, when they were 142nd, 10 places behind Malaysia.

In the ranking last month, Indonesia were still four places higher than Malaysia.

Malaysia’s rise is driven by consistent victories in 2025. Peter Cklamovski’s side has recorded six wins, one draw and one loss, including four wins in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Indonesia, on the other hand, had three wins, one draw and four losses, with all defeats coming from World Cup qualifiers, resulting in point deductions.

This improvement has pushed Malaysia to third place in Southeast Asia, where Thailand are still number one, gaining 13.17 points and rising five places to 96th after their 2-0 and 6-1 wins over Chinese Taipei in the Asian Cup qualifiers.

At second place, Vietnam also moved up three places in world ranking to 111th after beating Nepal 3-1 and 1-0 in the Asian Cup qualifiers, earning 13.7 points.

Other Southeast Asian teams in the ranking include the Philippines (141st), Singapore (155th), Myanmar (163rd), Cambodia (179th), Brunei (185th), Laos (188th), and Timor Leste (197th).

Apart from the bottom five, other Southeast Asian teams still have a chance to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup. Indonesia are guaranteed a spot as they have already reached the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

Another international break will take place in November 2025. Except for Indonesia and Cambodia, all Southeast Asian teams competing in the Asian Cup qualifiers can further improve their place.

In world's top 10, Italy and Germany have pushed Croatia out. Argentina have reclaimed second place from France, with Spain still in the lead. The top five also include England and Portugal, with Brazil, the Netherlands and Belgium following.

The FIFA ranking, first released in December 1992, are updated every one to two months. Teams are scored based on match importance, with friendly matches receiving a coefficient of 10, and Asian Cup matches before and after the quarterfinals receiving coefficients of 35 and 40. The ranking also considers the expected result, based on the difference in strength between teams. Lower-ranked teams earn more points for wins and lose fewer points for defeats when playing higher-ranked teams.

FIFA ranking is crucial for seeding in qualifying rounds and finals of FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup and Asian Cup. However, they are not the absolute measure of a team's strength and position.