FIFA delivers great news to the Vietnam national team, surprising Southeast Asian football.

The Vietnam national team catches the eye on the FIFA rankings by becoming the top climbing team in Southeast Asia, demonstrating a clear process of squad stability and steady growth.

According to FIFA's announcement on the evening of December 22, Vietnam is among the teams with the most significant progress worldwide in the December rankings. The "Golden Star Warriors" climbed 3 places to reach 107th in the world, meanwhile becoming the strongest promoted team in the Southeast Asian region in this update.

This achievement is a direct result of a series of positive outcomes recently, especially the victory in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers which earned Vietnam an additional 5.89 points.

The improvement in points clearly reflects the stability of the Vietnam national team under Coach Kim Sang-sik. The team has not only maintained a reasonable core lineup but also demonstrated effectiveness in accumulating FIFA points, a key factor to improving rankings amid increasingly fierce competition in Asia.

With the current upward momentum, Vietnam is closing in on the top 100 teams globally, a goal once considered a major challenge for many years.

In the region, Thailand still holds the number one spot in Southeast Asia but dropped one place to 96th in the world. This narrows the gap between Thailand and Vietnam further, highlighting notable shifts in regional power balance.

In stark contrast to Vietnam, the Malaysia national team became the negative focus in this month's FIFA rankings. The "Malayan Tigers" fell 5 places to 121st globally and suffered the largest point loss worldwide in December, dropping by 22.52 points. This steep decline directly reflects serious issues related to the naturalized player eligibility.

Malaysia was penalized by FIFA with three forfeited friendly matches due to fielding ineligible players, resulting in heavy point deductions. Furthermore, if their appeal fails, Malaysia risks additional forfeits in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers by AFC, which could cause their ranking to fall even further in upcoming updates.

The contrast between Vietnam and Malaysia in the December FIFA rankings highlights the importance of transparency, stability, and long-term planning in managing a national team. While one side persistently builds on a professional foundation, the other pays a heavy price for off-field mistakes. For Southeast Asian football, this is not just about rankings but a clear warning about sustainable development in a global competitive era.