The Vietnamese national team has been in the top 20 in Asia for 9 consecutive years, and is ranked 110th in the FIFA rankings.
The victory against Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers helped coach Kim Sang Sik's team climb to 110th in the FIFA rankings, marking their ninth consecutive year in the top 20 in Asia; Thailand is ranked 95th.
A comfortable victory against Laos in the fifth round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers not only capped off a successful 2025 for the Vietnamese national team, but also marked a lasting milestone: a one-place increase to 110th in the FIFA rankings and their ninth consecutive year in the top 20 teams in Asia (since 2017).
The victory concludes the year and marks a 9-year milestone.
Three points against Laos helped coach Kim Sang Sik's team improve their FIFA ranking to 110, extending their presence in the top 20 in Asia since 2017. The last time Vietnam was not in this group was in 2016 when they were ranked 134th in FIFA and 21st in Asia.
The reigning Southeast Asian champions also once reached their highest historical ranking of 84th in FIFA, a benchmark for the ambitions and positioning of Vietnamese football on the world map.
Asian map: Vietnam ranks behind 19 teams.
In the continent, Vietnam ranks behind the following 19 teams (in order and with current FIFA rankings):
- Japan (18)
- Iran (20)
- South Korea (22)
- Australia (26)
- Uzbekistan (50)
- Qatar (51)
- Iraq (58)
- Saudi Arabia (60)
- Jordan (66)
- UAE (67)
- Oman (79)
- Syria (87)
- Bahrain (91)
- China (93)
- Thailand (95)
- Palestine (96)
- Tajikistan (101)
- Kyrgyzstan (104)
- Lebanon (107)
With the above list, Vietnam ranks just behind Lebanon at the FIFA level, thus completing 2025 in the top 20 teams in Asia.
Ranking trajectory 2017–2025
Vietnam's performance curve shows a stable foundation: consistently ranking in the top 20 in Asia for nearly a decade, peaking near the top 15 in Asia during the 2019–2020 period.
| Year | FIFA rankings (end of year) | Asian Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 112 | 17 |
| 2018 | 100 | 17 |
| 2019 | 94 | 14 |
| 2020 | 93 | 14 |
| 2021 | 98 | 17 |
| 2022 | 96 | 17 |
| 2023 | 94 | 15 |
| 2024 | 114 | 20 |
| 2025 | 110 | 20 |
Southeast Asian Balance: Thailand leads, Vietnam close behind.
Within the region, Thailand is the only team in the FIFA top 100, ranking 95th — their highest ranking since June 2008 (ranked 93rd). Thailand will lead Southeast Asia from January 2024, following a period in which Vietnam held the top spot in the region since December 2017.
The chasing group currently includes: Malaysia (116), Indonesia (122), Philippines (136), Singapore (151), Myanmar (163), Cambodia (179), Laos (187), Brunei (189) and Timor Leste (198).
Notable changes in 2025
- Significant progress: Malaysia +15 places; Singapore +10; Philippines +10; Thailand +4; Laos +3.
- Decline: Vietnam -1; Indonesia -1; Myanmar -1; Timor Leste -1; Cambodia -2; Brunei -4.
Nine consecutive years in the top 20 in Asia is a clear message about Vietnam's stability and competitiveness. The result against Laos is just the final piece of the puzzle, confirming the team's position at the continental level by the end of 2025.
