According to the latest FIFA rankings, Vietnam made the most significant progress globally over the past month, climbing two spots from 116th in November to 114th.

This achievement stems from Vietnam’s good results in the group stage of the 2024 ASEAN Cup that is getting underway. Victories over Laos and Indonesia earned Vietnam 3.68 points, pushing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea down from 114th to 115th.

Apart from Vietnam, India also saw ranking improvements in Asia, rising from 127th to 126th. In contrast, Indonesia dropped two spots to 127th after losing 1.7 points.

In December, international matches were scarce worldwide, so most rankings remained unchanged. Argentina continue to lead the global rankings, while Japan hold the highest position among Asian teams at 15th.

In the 2024 ASEAN Cup, Vietnam lead Group B with seven points after two wins and one draw, putting them in a strong position to advance to the semi-finals. Indonesia and Myanmar follow with four points each, while the Philippines and Laos have three and two points, respectively.

Vietnam will play Myanmar in their last Group B match on December 21, and they will secure a semifinal spot with either a draw or a win. Even a narrow one-goal loss at Viet Tri Stadium would suffice to advance to the semifinals.