Vietnamese men’s football team maintain Southeast Asia’s top position
The Vietnamese men’s national football team wrapped up the year 2023 with the first place in Southeast Asia, 15th in Asia and 94th in the world in FIFA's latest rankings.
In Southeast Asia, Vietnam were followed by Thailand (113th in the world), Malaysia (130th), the Philippines (140th) and Indonesia (146th).
In Asia, Japan topped the rankings (17th place in the world), followed by Iran (21st), the Republic of Korea (23rd), Australia (25th), and Saudi Arabia (56th).
Argentina, the World Cup champions, topped the world rankings, followed by France, England, Belgium, Brazil, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Croatia.
According to FIFA, there are only 11 international matches in December, of which nine belonged to Oceania teams at the Pacific Games. The remainders are two friendly matches between Colombia and Venezuela/Mexico. This is the reason why there will be no significant change in the rankings for the last month of this year.
The most notable football event in January next year is the 2023 Asian Cup finals with the participation of 24 teams from Asia. Vietnam are drawn into Group D together with Japan, Iraq and Indonesia. The results of the matches in this regional tournament are forecast to create big changes in the world rankings, especially for Asian teams.
To prepare for the 2023 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese team is expected to gather for training on December 31. Coach Philippe Troussier and his team will spend a few days practicing in the country before travelling to Qatar for training and playing a friendly match with Kyrgyzstan before the tournament.
VNA-THANH BINH