Vietnam team in Asia's top 15; Man Utd running out of money for shopping
(Baonghean.vn) - According to the latest world rankings, the Vietnamese team rose to 15th place in Asia; After recruiting Mason Mount, Erik ten Hag only has 82 million USD left to "go shopping" even though there are still many positions that need upgrading... are the outstanding sports news in the past 24 hours.
Vietnam team in Asia top 15
In June, the Vietnamese team had two FIFA Days friendly matches. They won both Hong Kong and Syria with the same score of 1-0. Thanks to that, the Vietnamese team was awarded 8.54 points.
The total score of coach Philippe Troussier's team is currently 1,229.69.
This score is not enough to help them improve their 95th position since April. However, the point gap with the team above Syria (1,246.75) has narrowed.
In September, the Vietnamese team is scheduled to have two friendly matches against Palestine and Australia. If they have positive results, they will be awarded extra points and can completely surpass Syria.
Although the FIFA ranking has not changed, in Asia, the Vietnam team has made positive changes. Accordingly, from 16th place in Asia, they have risen to 15th place.
This will give them an advantage when the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) sorts the seeds to prepare for the draw for the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia on July 20.
In Southeast Asia, the Vietnamese team still holds the number 1 position. Below is the Thai team, which also rose one place to 113th on the FIFA rankings. In June, Thailand won against Hong Kong (1-0) and drew with Taiwan (2-2).
Two other strong teams in Southeast Asia also improved their rankings, such as the Philippines (135) and Malaysia (137). Meanwhile, Indonesia dropped to 150th place after losing 0-2 to Argentina. In the top 3 of FIFA are still Argentina, France and Brazil. The next ranking is expected to be announced by FIFA on July 20.
Man Utd run out of money to shop
The Glazers have yet to finalize the sale of Man Utd, leading to Man Utd's transfer budget becoming tight this summer. According to Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag only has $82 million left to spend after recruiting midfielder Mason Mount from Chelsea for $76 million.
The Dutch coach's top priority is to bring in a striker. But for 82 million, Ten Hag will find it difficult to recruit a quality contract. Harry Kane is the name Man Utd want the most, but Tottenham will not sell the 29-year-old striker for less than 127 million. Another striker that many clubs are chasing is Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen. However, after helping Napoli win Serie A, Osimhen is valued at 190 million by the Italian club.
Emerging French striker Randal Kolo Muani is likely to leave Eintracht Frankfurt this summer. Some sources say that Man Utd are also interested in this 24-year-old striker. But Frankfurt wants 108 million to let Kolo Muani go. Rasmus Hojlund, the Danish striker that Man Utd is pursuing, is also priced at 109 million after shining for Atalanta last season. Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos is cheaper - around 89 million, but still exceeds Man Utd's budget.
Ten Hag could offload some players to raise more money for shopping. But this is also a difficult problem for the Dutch coach. He hopes to earn 38 million if he sells Anthony Martial - a striker who has scored only 17 goals in the last three seasons.
Man Utd are about to head to North America for a pre-season tour, where they will play three friendlies against Arsenal, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Ten Hag wants to bring his new striker along so he can get used to his tactics.
Bale reveals habit that makes many people afraid of Ronaldo
"If Real Madrid win 5-0 and Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't score, he'll throw his shoes in the locker room. It's like your team winning the Ryder Cup but you don't score any points," Gareth Bale said in an online chat on June 30.
"However, Ronaldo is still a good man. There is nothing wrong with his actions. The relationship between me and Ronaldo is also quite good. Many people are afraid of Ronaldo because of his personality, the rest are not," Bale added.
Bale and Ronaldo spent five years as teammates at Real Madrid, forming a trident with Karim Benzema that helped Los Blancos achieve success in the Champions League. At the age of 33, Bale retired due to losing his desire to play. He spent his time pursuing his passion for golf. Meanwhile, Ronaldo is still breaking records at the age of 38. Benzema has just left Real to retire in Saudi Arabia.
Currently, Real is nurturing the ambition to build a dream attack with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo. The Spanish Royal team is patiently waiting for the results of the negotiations between Mbappe and Real before deciding to send an official offer to buy the striker born in 1998.
