OFFICIAL: AFC brings unfortunate news for Vietnamese football

According to the new AFC release, Vietnam fell one spot to sixth place among Asian women's clubs.

Vietnamese women's football continues to make a strong impression across Asia, as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) placed it 6th continentally in the club rankings for the 2025/26 season. This milestone is particularly significant because the ranking will be used by AFC to allocate entry slots and determine seedings for Asian women's club competitions in the 2027/28 season.

Per the AFC announcement, Vietnamese women's club football accumulated a total of 68.522 points. Club performances contributed 44.750 points, accounting for 70% of the total, while the Vietnam women's national team added 23.772 points based on the FIFA Women's World Ranking released on April 21, 2026. Breaking into the top six in Asia reflects the balanced growth of Vietnamese women's football from the national team level to the professional club system.

The largest contribution to this achievement comes from the remarkable campaign of Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club in the 2025/26 AFC Women's Champions League. Vietnam's representative advanced past the group stage with convincing victories over Taichung Blue Whale, Odisha FC, and Lion City Sailors before reaching the knockout rounds. Although eliminated by Naegohyang Women’s FC in the quarterfinals, Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club left a lasting impression and earned the tournament's Fair Play award.

In the AFC rankings, Australia tops Asia thanks to the explosive performance of Melbourne City FC. The Australian side won all its group matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding none, before reaching the semifinals of the AFC Women's Champions League. Japan ranks second with runner-up Tokyo Verdy Beleza, while South Korea holds third place on the back of Suwon FC Women's achievements.

Meanwhile, North Korea emerged as the biggest surprise of the tournament. Naegohyang Women’s FC won the AFC Women's Champions League by defeating Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 in the final held in Suwon. This result propelled North Korean women's football up the Asian rankings significantly and secured Naegohyang a place in the 2027 FIFA Women's Champions Cup and the 2028 Women's Club World Cup.

Although Vietnam's position is relatively high, we have actually dropped one spot compared to the previous ranking. This is due to the strong rise of North Korea thanks to Naegohyang's recent AFC Champions League title. Nevertheless, within Southeast Asia, Vietnam still holds the highest rank, well ahead of the Philippines, Thailand, and Myanmar.