Vietnam team makes strong breakthrough on FIFA rankings; Bayern Munich receives bad news

With double advantage, Vietnam women's team has a bright chance to continue in the Asian tournament

Recently, AFC announced the seed groups in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers. Accordingly, the Vietnamese women's team is in the number 1 seed group with North Korea, the Philippines, Iran, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Myanmar. In addition, the Vietnamese women's team is also one of the 8 teams selected to host the qualifying matches.Asian Cup 2026.

With that advantage, coach Mai Duc Chung and his team are highly appreciated by experts for their ability to win tickets to the final round of the 2026 Asian Cup.

The draw took place on March 27 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 34 teams were divided into eight groups (two groups of five teams and six groups of four teams). The top eight teams from each group will advance to the finals. The qualifying rounds will take place from June 23 to July 5, 2025.

There are currently 4 teams that have secured tickets to the 2026 Asian Cup finals: Australia (host) and the 3 teams with the highest achievements in the 2022 tournament, including China, Japan, and South Korea.

The 2026 Women's Asian Cup finals also serve as qualifiers for the 2027 Women's World Cup. The top six teams will qualify for the biggest women's tournament on the planet.

Bayern Munich received bad news

Full-back Alphonso Davies has torn the cruciate ligament in his right knee and will be out for at least six months.

This means the 24-year-old will be out for the remainder of the 2024/25 season. Bayern Munich announced that Davies will undergo surgery on March 26 and will be out for a long time.

This is a huge loss for the German side at a crucial time in the season, when they are aiming for big goals both domestically and in Europe.

“After the international break, Bayern will be without Alphonso Davies for a long time. He has torn the medial collateral ligament in his right knee and will undergo surgery today. We will accompany and support Davies throughout his recovery,” Bayern said in a statement.

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl also said: “This is a big loss, especially during the international break, when there is always a risk of injury. The absence of Davies and Dayot Upamecano is a blow, but we believe in the squad and will work closely to continue achieving our goals. Davies will receive the necessary support when he returns, and we hope Upamecano will also recover quickly."

Having lost one of their most important players, Bayern Munich will have to look to make up for Davies' absence in the upcoming matches, as they continue to fight in the Bundesliga and Champions League.

Hai Long plays well for the Vietnam national team and was asked to borrow by Werder Bremen...

Werder Bremen unexpectedly asked to borrow Hai Long from Hanoi FC, after witnessing the midfielder's impressive performance in the team's shirt.Vietnam team.

“Congratulations to the Vietnam national team for their successful start in the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. By the way, what does Hanoi Football Club think about loaning Nguyen Hai Long?”, the content was posted on the official fanpage of Bundesliga team, Werder Bremen.

Immediately after that, Hanoi FC responded humorously: "Hai Long just extended his contract until 2029, so SV Werder Bremen doesn't dare to buy him outright?"

The request to borrow Hai Long after Vietnam's 5-0 win over Laos in the opening match of the 2027 Asian Cup was probably just a joke from the team that won the Bundesliga Silver Plate 4 times, in order to attract the attention of Vietnamese football fans.

In recent matches of the Vietnam team, Hai Long is one of the most outstanding players under coach Kim Sang Sik.

During this FIFA Days in March, the midfielder currently playing for Hanoi FC made a strong impression when he scored two beautiful goals against Cambodia (2-1) and Laos (5-0).

Vietnam team makes strong breakthrough on FIFA rankings

After a strong opening match in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Vietnamese team continued to break through, rising to 109th place in the FIFA rankings.

On the evening of March 25, the Vietnamese national team started the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers quite successfully when they defeated Laos with a score of 5-0. Because the Malaysian team only beat Nepal with a score of 2-0, after the first match, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team rose to the top of Group F.

According to Football-Ranking, after the 5-0 win over Laos, the Vietnam national team was awarded an additional 6.09 points on the FIFA rankings. With a total score of 1,183.82, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team rose to 109th place on the FIFA rankings.

Previously, the Vietnam national team was awarded 2.72 points after a friendly match with the Cambodian team. Thus, in the training session in March 2025, with two wins, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team increased 5 places on the FIFA rankings, rising from 114th to 109th. This is a very significant improvement after the success at the ASEAN Cup 2024.

Including the two recent victories over Cambodia and Laos, the Vietnamese national team has extended its unbeaten streak in all competitions to 11 (9 wins, 2 draws). Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team are expected to continue their success when they meet Malaysia in the second round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers next June.