FIFA delivers disappointing news for the Vietnam national team

The Vietnam national team has slipped down in the most recent FIFA ranking update.

On January 19, FIFA released the newest update of the rankings following the conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Specifically, The Vietnam national team fell one spot in the FIFA rankings. Coach Kim Sang Sik's squad has not played since last November, after completing the fifth round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers with a victory over the Laos national team.

This allowed the teams ranked below to advance by participating in regional tournaments. One team that took advantage of this was Comoros, who earned two draws against Mali and Zambia, gaining an additional 7.08 points and rising three places in the rankings.

Currently, Vietnam is temporarily ranked 108th in the FIFA rankings with 1189.51 points, holding second place in Southeast Asia behind Thailand (ranked 96th). Meanwhile, Thailand, Malaysia (ranked 121st), and Indonesia (ranked 122nd) all maintained their positions in this update.

In March, the Vietnam national team will regroup to prepare for their final qualifying match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. "The Golden Dragons" are at a disadvantage compared to their rivals in the battle for the top spot in Group F, while "The Malayan Tigers" face a high risk of losing 6 points (forfeiting 2 matches) due to the use of ineligible naturalized players in their two wins against Nepal and Vietnam.

This not only opens the door for Vietnam to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup finals but also helps "The Golden Star Warriors" enhance their FIFA ranking in the upcoming update.