Malaysia closes in on neighboring Indonesia

Malaysia's win against Laos secured 3 points and helped narrow the gap with Indonesia on the FIFA leaderboard.

The Malaysian national team achieved their goal of securing all 3 points by defeating the hosts Laos 3-0 in Group F of the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. This win not only extended coach Peter Cklamovski’s unbeaten streak but also moved them closer to Indonesia’s position in the FIFA rankings.

Despite missing 7 key players due to naturalization controversies, Malaysia still showed superiority over the home team. Newcomers like Arif and Morales played actively, allowing the Malayan Tigers to dominate the match.

Three goals scored in the second half reflected the skill gap and awarded Malaysia an additional 6.77 FIFA points, enough to boost them three places up from 123rd to 120th in the world rankings.

According to FIFA ranking calculations, Malaysia could reach a total of 1,155 points, just one position behind Indonesia, currently ranked 119th. This is seen as a positive sign amid the naturalization issues affecting Malaysian football’s standing in Southeast Asia.

The win over Laos also helped Malaysia maintain its position as the fourth highest-ranked team in Southeast Asia, behind Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. However, the gap with Indonesia has now significantly narrowed.

Following Indonesia’s 2-3 loss to Saudi Arabia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, regional media suggest Malaysia has a chance to overtake them if they continue their consistent performance in upcoming matches.

Malaysia’s rise intensifies the ranking battle among Southeast Asian teams. Thailand remains the highest-ranked in the region, but the rapid progress of Malaysia and Indonesia is creating fierce competition within ASEAN.

If Malaysia keeps winning in the next fixtures, the Malayan Tigers could surpass Indonesia to become the third highest-ranked FIFA team in Southeast Asia, a position they haven’t held in nearly a decade.