Vietnam to drop further in FIFA rankings after heavy loss to Malaysia

Vietnam (in red) lost 0-4 to Malaysia in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup, at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur on June 10, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Hai Tu

The loss will cost Vietnam approximately 13.99 points, a significant deduction given their higher current ranking compared to Malaysia.

Malaysia are set to rise six places to 125th, gaining the same number of points from the win over Vietnam, along with an additional point from a 1-1 friendly draw with Cape Verde.

Indonesia will also continue climbing the rankings, moving up five spots to 118th. The team earned 11.63 points from a 1-0 win over China, despite a 0-6 defeat to Japan in the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers.

Just four years ago, in August 2021, Vietnam were at 92nd, 82 places above Indonesia. However, thanks to consistent progress in both Asian Cup and World Cup qualification campaigns, Indonesia have steadily closed the gap after hitting a low of 175th in September 2021.

Thailand, on the other hand, will likely fall two places to 101st following a 1-3 upset by Turkmenistan in the Asian Cup qualifiers. The loss cost them 16.27 points, but was reduced thanks to a 2-0 friendly win over India that brought the deduction down to 12.24.

Southeast Asia will have no team left in the top 100 of the FIFA rankings.

Other teams in the region made minor gains. The Philippines is projected to rise to 145th, followed by Singapore at 159th, Myanmar at 160th, Cambodia at 180th, Brunei at 183rd, and Timor Leste at 195th. Laos made the biggest jump, climbing five places to 185th after a 2-1 win over Nepal in Asian Cup qualifying.

Teams still have three more FIFA international breaks this year: Sept. 1–9 for friendlies, and Oct. 6–14 and Nov. 10–18 for the Asian Cup final qualifiers' second legs and the fourth round of World Cup qualifiers.

At the global level, there have also been changes. Germany are set to drop out of the top 10 for the first time in years, falling to 12th. Croatia will move up two spots to 9th, pushing Italy to 10th. Portugal will one place to 6th after winning the UEFA Nations League, overtaking the Netherlands while Belgium remain in 8th. The top five are set to be unchanged: Argentina, Spain, France, England and Brazil.

First introduced in December 1992, the FIFA rankings are updated every one to two months. Rankings are based on match results, importance, opponent strength and expected outcomes.

For example, FIFA friendlies carry a coefficient of 10, while Asian Cup matches before the quarterfinals are rated at 35, and 40 after that. A team's gain or loss in ranking points also depends on the ranking difference between them and their opponents. Winning against stronger teams results in bigger point gains, while losing to lower-ranked teams causes heavier deductions.

Though not an absolute indicator of a team's strength, FIFA rankings remain crucial for determining seeding in major international competitions such as the World Cup and Asian Cup.