Vietnam returns to top 15 men’s football teams in Asia

The 2-0 victory over Afghanistan on June 1 helped Vietnam leap up one place to stand at the 15th position in Asia in the latest men’s world ranking.

Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam (middle) wears the captain armband in the match against Afghanistan. (Photo: vnexpress)
Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam (middle) wears the captain armband in the match against Afghanistan. (Photo: vnexpress)

Before the friendly match with Afghanistan, Vietnam sat at 96th in the world with 1,215.38 points, 3.1 points less than Kyrgyzstan.

With its convincing win over Afghanistan, the Vietnamese men’s football team gained more than 3.5 points to take the 95th FIFA and 15th in Asia positions from Kyrgyzstan.

However, the current position of Vietnam could change, when teams ranked close behind will play the third qualifying round of the 2023 Asian Cup, including Kyrgyzstan. These matches will take place from June 8-14 and then FIFA will announce the official rankings for June.

Meanwhile, coach Park Hang-seo’s side will not play any more matches in the coming time.

Vietnam still retains the top spot in Southeast Asia, 16 places above second-position Thailand. The Philippines rank third in the region and claimed the 133rd position in the world.