Hanoi, 1 April 2026 – On March 31, the Vietnam national team gained 9.75 points from their 3–1 victory over Malaysia in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification, lifting their total to 1,225.75 points and climbing from 103rd to 99th in the FIFA rankings.
This marks Vietnam’s return to the world’s top 100 for the first time in nearly two years, officially reaching 99th place as of March 31.
The rise began with their triumph at the AFF Cup 2024 in early 2025, followed by an outstanding Asian Cup qualifying campaign under coach Kim Sang-sik. Vietnam secured qualification for the finals with an unbeaten record, including a 3–0 awarded win over Malaysia by the Asian Football Confederation due to player eligibility violations.
In the return leg on March 31, Vietnam once again proved superior, defeating Malaysia 3–1. Captain Do Duy Manh opened the scoring in the 6th minute, while Nguyen Xuan Son struck twice in the 51st and 59th minutes, assisted by Do Hoang Hen and Truong Tien Anh. Malaysia’s only goal came from a penalty converted by Endrick in the 77th minute.
This victory extended Vietnam’s winning streak to 10 consecutive matches since the start of 2025, including a 3–0 friendly win over Bangladesh on March 26. The consistent run of results has propelled the team up the FIFA rankings—from 114th in September 2025 to 108th in January 2026, then to 103rd, and now into the top 100.
The latest result also saw Vietnam surpass El Salvador (1,225.26 points) to claim 98th place, underlining their resurgence on the international stage.
Although their exact ranking may still shift slightly depending on upcoming results from teams like Luxembourg and Trinidad & Tobago, Vietnam is guaranteed to remain inside the top 100 when the official FIFA rankings are released on April 1. With Mozambique inactive during the March FIFA window, Vietnam has already moved ahead and secured their position among the world’s top teams.
VSN/RPT
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