Hanoi, 8 Oct 2026 – Vietnam are on course to secure direct entry into the second round of the AFC qualifiers for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with their current position of 17th in Asia placing them comfortably among the continent’s highest-ranked national teams.
According to the latest FIFA rankings following the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, Vietnam sit 99th in the world and 17th in Asia. Their position puts them in a strong position to bypass the opening round of Asian qualification for the 2030 World Cup, which is expected to begin in 2027.
The qualification format is expected to follow a structure similar to that used for the 2026 World Cup. Under the proposed system, the first round will take place in March 2027 and feature Asia’s 20 lowest-ranked national teams. These teams will be paired in 10 home-and-away ties, with the winners advancing to the second round alongside the continent’s 26 highest-ranked sides.
The qualifying draw is expected to take place towards the end of 2026. Although another FIFA international window remains scheduled for November, the current rankings already provide a strong indication of which teams will be required to compete in the opening round. Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia are all well placed to avoid the first stage and begin their campaigns in the second round.
The second round is expected to feature 36 teams divided into nine groups of four. Each team will play their group opponents, with the top two sides from every group progressing to the third round. Matches at this stage are provisionally scheduled between September 2027 and March 2028, with 18 national teams advancing to the next phase.
In the third round, the remaining 18 teams are expected to be divided into three groups of six, with matches provisionally taking place from June 2028 to June 2029. This stage will be particularly important as Asian teams compete for places at the expanded 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Beyond World Cup qualification, the campaign could also have significant implications for the future structure of international football in Asia. Under the proposed arrangements, the 18 teams reaching the third round would qualify for the top tier of the inaugural AFC Nations League 2030/31, adding another incentive for national teams to progress deep into the qualification process.
For Vietnam, avoiding the first round would provide additional preparation time ahead of the more demanding stages of qualification. With the national team currently ranked among Asia’s top 20, attention will increasingly turn towards maintaining that position and building a competitive squad capable of challenging for a place in the later rounds of the 2030 World Cup qualifiers.
VSN/RPT
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