Thanks to Malaysia, Vietnam's national team gains an unexpected and crucial advantage.

18/03/2026 08:34:00 TrophyTracker

The AFC's ruling to grant Vietnam a victory against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers not only ensured a direct berth but also yielded considerable extra advantages.

Accordingly, after being awarded the win over Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Vietnam's national team not only reversed the previous result but also gained substantial points on the FIFA rankings. Previously, the loss to Malaysia in June 2025 cost the team as many as 14 points. However, with the new decision, these points have been fully restored.

Beyond that, the 3-0 victory by ruling also brought approximately 11 additional points. Overall, Vietnam's national team is projected to gain around 25 extra points in the upcoming FIFA ranking update.

image (22) — With the AFC awarding the win over Malaysia, Vietnam's national team has the opportunity to participate in the AFC Nations League in the future.

In the most recent rankings, Vietnam's national team stands at 108th in the world with 1,189.51 points. If the aforementioned points are fully added, the team will rise to approximately 1,214.51 points, thereby improving its position to around 103rd globally. This advancement is not only significant for prestige but also directly impacts future opportunities to participate in major tournaments.

Notably, FIFA rankings are increasingly becoming crucial as the AFC plans to launch the AFC Nations League, a new competition modeled similarly to the UEFA Nations League. As projected, the top 16 ranked teams in Asia will feature in Group A, which includes leading names such as Japan, South Korea, and Iran.

ANH (12) — The gap between Vietnam's national team and Thailand's national team before the points from the awarded win over Malaysia were added (Image: VFF).

Currently, Vietnam's national team ranks 19th in Asia. With the boost from the additional 25 points, the team could climb to the 18th position, significantly narrowing the gap with the top 16 group. Notably, the distance between Vietnam and Thailand (ranked 96th globally, equivalent to top 16 in Asia) is now less than 30 points.

This gap is not too large and can be bridged within a short period. When the AFC Nations League is scheduled to commence after the 2026 World Cup, the opportunity for Vietnam to surpass Thailand is very clear.

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