Malaysian media mentions Vietnam when the national team falls freely on FIFA rankings

Malaysian media unexpectedly names Vietnam after the national team suffers a severe drop on FIFA rankings.

After many months of waiting, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) finally issued a penalty against the Malaysian national team, resulting in a 0-3 forfeit in two Asian Cup 2027 qualifying matches due to the use of ineligible naturalized players. The consequences were almost immediate, with FIFA deducting points and causing "Harimau Malaya" to plummet on the world rankings.

Specifically, Malaysia lost about 50 points, dropping 14 places – from position 121 to 135 in the world. This is considered a major shock for the country's football, and also sparked strong reactions in the media.

Sports site Makanbola could not hide its disappointment, calling this an alarming setback. The publication emphasized the direct cause being the AFC penalty, and pointed out serious errors in using invalid players.

“Malaysia drops 14 places on FIFA rankings after penalty for using ineligible naturalized players”, Makanbola wrote.

Makanbola also did not forget to mention Vietnam, the Southeast Asian country benefiting directly from Malaysia's forfeit:“This result helps Vietnam surpass Malaysia in Group F and officially secures an Asian Cup berth early. They also rise to 103rd in the world, gaining 5 places compared to before.”

Meanwhile, another Malaysian media outlet, Arena Astro, bitterly shared: “The Malaysian tigers (nickname of the national team) fell 14 places, now ranked 135th in the world. According to the latest update from FIFA rankings, Harimau Malaya only accumulated 1,095.9 points.”

Malaysia's The Star exclaimed: “Harimau Malaya dropped to 135th place on FIFA rankings. The Malaysian national team fell to that position after FIFA deducted points from international friendlies and Asian Cup 2027 qualifying matches.”

Overall, Malaysian media reactions are quite negative as the country's football continuously receives bad news. Articles in Malaysian media also express disappointment with the management and operation of the national team. Especially as the image and standing of Malaysian football internationally are severely affected.

Additionally, the media in this country also raises questions about the future of the national team under coach Peter Cklamovski. Although there is still opportunity to improve FIFA ranking in the coming period, pressure on the coaching staff and Malaysian Football Association is increasing.

From a regional perspective, falling to 135th place keeps Malaysia lagging behind Southeast Asian rivals. Thailand remains the top regional position, while Indonesia and Vietnam have made significant progress. Malaysia is now even barely above Philippines.

According to the schedule, in the final match on March 31, 2026 at Thien Truong Stadium (Ninh Binh), the Vietnamese national team will host Malaysia. Makanbola states this is a golden opportunity for the Malaysian team to regain points and improve its FIFA ranking.