Vietnam dropped to 105th place after three consecutive losses at the 2023 Asian Cup, and lost the number one position in Southeast Asia to Thailand.
The loss to Iraq on January 24th caused Vietnam to lose 11.32 FIFA points. Previously, the team lost 6.47 points when losing to Japan, and 23.26 when defeated by Indonesia. The total of three losses in the Asian Cup caused the team to lose 41.06 points, leaving them with only 1,194.52 points, currently ranked 105th in the world.
Captain Do Hung Dung holds his head in regret after Vietnam lost 2-3 to Iraq in the final round of Group D of the 2023 Asian Cup at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan City, Qatar, January 24, 2024. Photo: Lam Thoa
In the FIFA rankings for January 2024, Vietnam ranked 94th in the world with 1,235.58 points, in the Top 15 in Asia and number one in Southeast Asia. But after the tournament, the team dropped to 19th in Asia and number two in Southeast Asia. Because Thailand just earned 22.20 points through two matches at the Asian Cup, to rank 102nd in the world with 1,198.95 points.
For the first time in two years, Vietnam has dropped out of the FIFA Top 100 for a certain period of time. In January 2022, the team was pushed out of this group after losing to Australia in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers. But thanks to a 3-1 victory over China on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the team returned to the Top 100 before FIFA announced the new ranking.
This time, the team will not be able to return to the Top 100 until FIFA announces the ranking table in February 2024. Because Philippe Troussier's army has no more matches until March 2024, and the teams currently in the Top 100, even if they lose their next match, will not lose many points to fall behind Vietnam.
The last time Vietnam was outside the FIFA Top 100 was in October 2018, at 102nd place. A month later, Coach Park Hang-seo brought the team back into the Top 100, as he promised when he took office. The team has maintained its position in the Top 100 for 63 consecutive months.
The last time Vietnam did not top Southeast Asia on the FIFA rankings was November 2017, when the team ranked 125th in FIFA, while the Philippines led at 118th. The team has topped Southeast Asia for 75 consecutive months.
Thailand has secured a place in the round of 16 of the Asian Cup, but still has a final match against Saudi Arabia at 10pm today, January 25. If Thailand loses, they will fall behind Vietnam in the FIFA rankings. Whether the team remains at the top of Southeast Asia or not depends on Thailand's progress in the tournament. The possibility of Vietnam falling out of the Top 100 is inevitable.
The FIFA rankings are important because a high position will help teams be better seeded for draws such as the Asian Cup or the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. If Vietnam wants to aim for the 2026 World Cup, it needs a high position in the seeding group in the third qualifying round to avoid strong opponents. But first, the team needs to complete the goal of passing the second qualifying round, with two consecutive matches against Indonesia in March 2024.
Hoang An
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