The December FIFA rankings brought welcome news for Vietnamese football, as the national team climbed three spots to 107th in the world, inching closer to the prestigious top 100 and asserting its upward momentum in Southeast Asia.

The latest update, released on the evening of December 22, confirmed Vietnam as the region’s biggest mover for the month, even as several neighboring teams saw mixed or negative shifts in their standings.

This rise comes on the back of consistent point accumulation throughout the year, with the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier win alone adding +5.89 points. More significantly, Vietnam now sits just seven places away from the FIFA top 100-a milestone long considered elusive in the country’s football journey.

Under the guidance of head coach Kim Sang Sik, the “Golden Star Warriors” have shown more than just momentary flashes of success. Their style of play and results now reflect a more stable, strategic progression, rather than sporadic spikes.

Elsewhere in the region, shifts were telling.

Thailand remains Southeast Asia’s highest-ranked team, but slipped one place globally to 96th.

The more dramatic story, however, was Malaysia, which plummeted to 121st after a hefty 22.52-point deduction related to issues involving naturalized players.

This contrast underscores how FIFA rankings not only reflect on-field results, but also deeper matters of governance, long-term planning, and transparency.

For Vietnam, the climb is a promising sign of growing ambition in an increasingly competitive Asian football landscape.

In Asia, Japan continues to hold the top continental spot, followed by Iran, South Korea, Australia, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Globally, the FIFA top 10 remained unchanged, with Spain holding the top position, followed by Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia.

Thien Binh