As of the most recent ranking update on Dec. 19, 2024, Vietnam were ranked 114th.

Nguyen Quang Hai score from a volley in Vietnam's 5-0 victory against Laos in the Asian Cup qualifiers in Go Dau Stadium, Binh Duong Province, March 25, 2025.

Vietnam's ranking for the April 2025 edition will be based on match results from their 1-1 draw against the Philippines in the third round of the 2024 ASEAN Cup group stage.

Since that draw, Vietnam have won seven consecutive matches. In the ASEAN Cup, they successively defeated Myanmar 5-0 (group stage), Singapore 2-0 and 3-1 (semifinals), and Thailand 2-1 and 3-2 (finals).

Following the tournament, coach Kim Sang-sik’s team won a friendly match against Cambodia 2-1 on March 19 before thrashing Laos 5-0 in the opening match of Group F in the final qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup on Tuesday.

This strong run of results is expected to earn Vietnam 19.03 additional points, helping them move up five places to 109th. The victory against Laos contributed the most, adding 6.09 points, due to the Asian Cup qualifiers' high importance coefficient of 25, compared to 5 for the ASEAN Cup.

Vietnam have now climbed 10 places since dropping to 119th in October 2024, their lowest ranking since November 2017, when they were 125th.

Vietnam are third in the world in terms of points gained, trailing only Bosnia & Herzegovina (24.2 points) and Mexico (19.5) in the April 2025 ranking. The five-place increase ties with Norway and Paraguay for third globally, behind Myanmar (7 places) and Guyana (6 places).

Vietnam have also narrowed the gap with Thailand, who dropped two spots to 99th. Indonesia gained 9.42 points from their 1-0 victory over Bahrain in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, climbing four places to 123rd.

Other Southeast Asian nations in the rankings are Malaysia (131st), the Philippines (146th), Singapore (161st), Myanmar (162nd), Cambodia (181st), Brunei (185th), Laos (190th), and Timor-Leste (197th).

The world’s top 10 rankings remain unchanged, with Argentina leading the pack, followed by France, Spain, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Germany.

Following this month’s FIFA international match period, three more teams have secured their spots for the 2026 World Cup: Argentina (1st), Japan (15th), and Iran (17th). The three host nations are Mexico (16th), the United States (21st), and Canada (31st).

The FIFA rankings were first introduced in December 1992 and are typically updated every one to two months. Each team’s points are calculated based on the match’s importance coefficient.

FIFA-sanctioned friendlies have a coefficient of 10, while Asian Cup matches before the quarterfinals have a coefficient of 35, and those after the quarterfinals have a coefficient of 40.

In addition to match results, the ranking formula also considers the expected outcome, which reflects the strength difference between the two teams.

The greater the disparity in ranking before the match, the more points the lower-ranked team gain for a win and the fewer points they lose for a defeat.

The FIFA rankings are significant as they serve as a basis for seeding teams in qualifiers and final tournaments of FIFA competitions, such as the World Cup and Asian Cup. However, they are not an absolute measure of a team’s strength and standing.