Viet Nam’s men’s national football team made a significant leap in the FIFA World Rankings for April, climbing five spots to 109th in the world. This marks their biggest rise in seven years and stands as a major milestone in the country’s football journey.
Within Asia, Viet Nam now ranks 19th, while in Southeast Asia, they hold a strong second place—just behind Thailand, who sit at 99th globally.
Japan remains the highest-ranked Asian nation, positioned 15th with 1,652.64 points.
Viet Nam’s impressive rise is largely driven by a series of positive results since late 2024. A key victory over Thailand in the ASEAN Cup final, followed by wins against Cambodia (during the FIFA Matchday) and Laos (in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers), contributed significantly to their points tally.
Altogether, Viet Nam earned 19.04 additional points from their last eight matches, which included seven wins and one draw.
Under new head coach Kim Sang-sik, Viet Nam now holds a total of 1,183.83 FIFA points—their highest score since February 2024, when they were ranked 105th.
This five-spot jump also represents their biggest climb since August 2018, when they rose from 107th to 102nd despite not playing any matches. That moment came during the tenure of Park Hang-seo, who led the team into the FIFA Top 100 and as high as 92nd in the world.
Viet Nam Climbs Back Stronger
A similar achievement was once recorded during the era of the late coach Alfred Riedl. In January 2007, Viet Nam made a historic leap, jumping 38 places from 172nd to 134th in the FIFA rankings. Even earlier, in September 1998, under Riedl’s leadership, the team reached its all-time highest ranking at 84th in the world.
Unfortunately, breaking into the Top 100 did not guarantee lasting stability. During Philippe Troussier’s tenure as head coach, the team gradually declined and eventually fell out of the elite group.
Now, under the guidance of Kim Sang-sik and boosted by their 2024 ASEAN Cup title, Viet Nam is showing strong signs of revival. Since October 2024, the team has surged ten places in just a few months—a clear indication of their upward momentum.
FIFA Ranking Shake-Up in Southeast Asia
While Viet Nam’s rise has been remarkable, they are not the only Southeast Asian team making strides. Myanmar drew attention with a seven-place jump to 162nd in the world—the region’s biggest improvement.
Indonesia and the Philippines also made notable gains, each moving up four spots to 123rd and 146th, respectively. Malaysia inched up one place to rank 132nd globally.
Conversely, Thailand dropped two spots following underwhelming performances in recent international matches. Despite the slip, they remain the highest-ranked team in Southeast Asia.
The next FIFA rankings update is scheduled for release in July.
