KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian national men's football team is now on track to break into the world's top 120 teams, according to the latest FIFA rankings.
The team, nicknamed Harimau Malaya, is now ranked 123rd globally with 1,148.23 points, moving up two spots from their 125th position in July.
This achievement, under coach Peter Cklamovski, was fueled by two recent international Tier 1 friendly victories: a 2-1 win over Singapore on September 4, and a surprising 1-0 win against Palestine, a team ranked in the top 100, on September 8.
Among Southeast Asian nations, Malaysia now holds the fourth-best position, behind Thailand (101), Vietnam (114), and Indonesia (119).
In the global rankings, Euro 2024 champions Spain climbed one spot to take the top position, followed by France, while reigning World Cup champions Argentina fell two places to third.
The next FIFA ranking update is scheduled for October 23.
Malaysia is set to continue their 2027 Asian Cup qualification campaign in Group F, playing against Laos in Vientiane on October 9, before hosting the return leg on October 14. - BERNAMA