FIFA Rankings undergo historic changes, Vietnam national team makes rapid progress

According to the latest rankings released by FIFA during the March 2026 FIFA Days, the Vietnam national team has officially returned to the world top 100, occupying the 99th position.

Specifically, the team under coach Kim Sang-sik achieved 1,225.68 points, rising 9 places and gaining 36.17 points compared to the previous update. Notably, FIFA also recognized the Vietnam national team as the team with the most significant improvement during this FIFA Days period.

Following Vietnam in terms of ranking improvement are teams like Bosnia, Nepal, and Bhutan – each rising 6 places. Conversely, Malaysia became the team with the steepest decline, dropping 17 places to the 138th position globally, and was overtaken by Philippines, falling to the 5th place in the Southeast Asian region.

Within Asia, the top five leading teams include Japan (world rank 18), Iran (21), South Korea (25), Australia (27), and Uzbekistan (50), continuing to affirm the status of the region's leading football nations. Meanwhile, on the world rankings, the top three positions are held by France, Spain, and Argentina respectively.

A notable point in the March 2026 FIFA Days is FIFA's first-time implementation of a real-time ranking update mechanism. Consequently, the rankings of national teams (both men's and women's) can change immediately during the course of matches.

Specifically, each goal in international matches can directly impact the points and ranking positions of teams, providing a more intuitive and dynamic view of fluctuations on the global rankings. However, the rankings during matches are temporary. The official rankings will be confirmed after all matches in the FIFA Days period conclude.

Although the points calculation formula remains unchanged, the implementation of the real-time update mechanism is expected to help fans closely follow the ranking developments of teams and increase the appeal of international matches.

Returning to the world top 100 is a significant milestone for the Vietnam national team, reflecting positive progress in professionalism and the effectiveness of preparation and performance in recent times. This will serve as a foundation for the team to pursue higher goals in the future.

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