Vietnam fall further in FIFA rankings, widening gap with rival Thailand

Vietnam lost only 0.27 points after the 1-1 draw with India in a friendly match on Oct. 12, leaving them with 1,161.11 points. However, they fell three spots to 119th due to significant progress by three African teams, namely Comoros (from 118th to 108th), Sudan (from 120th to 110th), and Zimbabwe (from 124th to 117th).

Vietnamese players are disappointed after a 1-1 draw with India in a friendly match in Thien Truong Stadium in northern Vietnam on Oct. 12, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa

In the last four FIFA rankings in April, June, July, and September, Vietnam fluctuated between 115th and 116th. The team have dropped 25 places compared to October 2023.

The 119th position is their lowest since November 2017, when they ranked 125th. Under coach Park Hang-seo, Vietnam mostly maintained a spot in the top 100 from November 2018 to January 2024. However, three consecutive losses in the group stage of the Asian Cup earlier this year resulted in the team’s free fall to 115th in February.

Indonesia drew 1-1 with Bahrain but lost 1-2 to China in the 2026 World Cup third qualifiers. They are deducted 5.3 points and are likely to drop one spot to 130th.

Thailand gained 8.7 points and moved up four places to 96th thanks to victories over the Philippines (3-1) and Syria (2-1) to win the King's Cup. This is Thailand's highest position in 16 years, having ranked 93rd in June 2008. During this time, Thailand fell as low as 165th in October 2014.

The current 23-place gap with Vietnam is the largest between the two teams since September 2021, when Vietnam ranked 95th and Thailand 122nd.

Thailand players celebrate winning the King's Cup 2024 after beating the Philippines 3-1 and Syria 2-1. Photo by FAT

Vietnam's fall may continue as they currently have no official friendlies scheduled for November. Instead, the team will train in South Korea in preparation for the 2024 AFF Cup. It will not be easier for Indonesia either, as they face Japan and Saudi Arabia next in the 2026 World Cup third qualifiers.

In Southeast Asia, Malaysia dropped one spot to 133rd after a 0-4 loss to New Zealand, while the Philippines climbed three places to 145th after a 3-0 win over Tajikistan. Other teams include Singapore (162nd), Myanmar (165th), Cambodia (180th), Brunei (184th), Laos (187th), and Timor-Leste (196th).

The world's top six remain unchanged, with Argentina, France, Spain, England, Brazil, and Belgium leading the pack. Portugal moved up to seventh, replacing the Netherlands, while Italy climbed to ninth, replacing Colombia. In the top 50, Tunisia fell 11 spots to 47th, losing the most points (26.34) after a 0-1 loss and a 1-1 draw against Comoros, a team outside the top 100.

The FIFA rankings were first introduced in December 1992 and are released every one to two months. Each team's points are calculated based on the match's importance. FIFA-scheduled friendlies have a weighting factor of 10, while Asian Cup matches before the quarterfinals have a factor of 35, and those after the quarterfinals have a factor of 40. Besides match results, the calculation also depends on the expected result, which considers the strength gap between the two teams. The further apart the two teams are in the rankings, the more points the lower-ranked team gain for a win and the fewer points they lose for a defeat.

The FIFA rankings are important for determining seedings in qualifiers and final tournaments of FIFA-related competitions, such as the World Cup and Asian Cup. However, they are not an absolute measure of a team's strength and status.