Vietnam U23 Leads Southeast Asia in AFC U23 All-Time Rankings

­With 32 accumulated points after six participations, Vietnam’s Under-23 (U23) team rose to ninth place in the all-time history of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Asian Cup, far surpassing the combined total points of Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Vietnam U23 lift the championship trophy, securing a historic third consecutive Southeast Asian U23 title

Vietnam U23 is no longer a temporary phenomenon on the continental stage. After winning the Bronze Medal at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 finals, the team in red officially established its position as Southeast Asia’s leading force on the tournament’s all-time overall rankings.

Absolute dominance in numbers

To date, across six tournaments and a total of 26 matches, Vietnam U23 has accumulated 32 points (8 wins, 8 draws, and 10 losses). This result not only placed Head Coach Kim Sang Sik and his players ninth on the AFC’s all-time standings, but also created a clear gap with other teams in the region.

According to data analysis, Vietnam’s current total of 32 points exceeds the combined total of Thailand (15 points), Indonesia (7 points), and Malaysia (4 points), which together reach 26 points. This stands as clear evidence of the sustained progress and competitive resilience of Vietnam’s younger generation at the continent’s premier U23 tournament.

Vietnam U23 advance to the AFC U23 Asian Cup semifinals after a hard-fought victory

Tactical imprint of Head Coach Kim Sang Sik

The success at the 2026 tournament bore a strong imprint of Head Coach Kim Sang Sik. Under his leadership, Vietnam U23 displayed an effective and highly pragmatic playing style, while still maintaining moments of attacking sharpness. On the path to a third-place finish, the team recorded four wins, one draw, and only one loss across six matches.

Notably, the attacking line operated with high efficiency, scoring 10 goals against strong opponents. A solid defensive foundation combined with quick transitional play enabled Vietnam to overcome a series of demanding challenges, including an impressive victory over South Korea U23 to secure the Bronze Medal.

Standing of Southeast Asian teams at AFC U23 Asian Cup

The widening performance gap between Vietnam U23 and the rest of Southeast Asia on the continental stage is increasingly evident through the following accumulated points table.

While Thailand, despite ranking 13th, exited early in the latest tournament, and Indonesia and Malaysia continued to struggle to establish a foothold, Vietnam U23 has emerged as a formidable opponent for West Asian and East Asian football powers. Ninth place on the AFC all-time rankings is not merely a statistic, but a confirmation of the caliber of a generation aspiring to turn the Olympic dream of Vietnamese football into reality.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum