Vietnam's national team surges rapidly in FIFA rankings as Malaysia faces a 0-3 forfeit loss

Should the AFC penalize Malaysia with a forfeit, Vietnam's national squad is set to recover points and anticipate a substantial boost on the FIFA ranking list.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has officially dismissed the appeal from the Football Association of Malaysia regarding the case of seven ineligible naturalized players. Based on this decision, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is also expected to issue a final ruling on the Malaysian national team's status in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers soon.

Currently, the most likely scenario is the AFC imposing forfeit losses on the Malaysian team for its matches against Nepal (March 2025) and Vietnam (June 2025). However, if a strict stance is taken, the AFC could even disqualify Malaysia from the tournament.

Should this occur, the Vietnamese national team would not only automatically secure a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup finals but also see a notable shift in its FIFA ranking position. Specifically, following the previous 0-4 defeat, Vietnam lost 13.99 points. Therefore, if awarded a win by default, Coach Kim Sang Sik's side would gain approximately 11 points, accumulating about 1,124 points and climbing to 103rd in the world (Vietnam currently ranks 108th).

Conversely, the Malaysian national team would lose 30 points if sanctioned with two forfeit losses, leading to a steep fall down the rankings. Previously, in late 2025, after FIFA imposed forfeit losses for three friendlies against Singapore, Palestine, and Cape Verde, Malaysia was deducted 22.53 points and dropped to 121st globally.

Regarding the Vietnamese national team, Coach Kim Sang Sik has outlined a detailed plan for the rematch against Malaysia scheduled for March 31. The squad will assemble from March 21, followed by a friendly against Bangladesh at Hang Day Stadium before moving to Thien Truong Stadium to host the "Malayan Tigers".