7M - Indonesia Rise To 120th In FIFA Rankings As Malaysia Drop To 135th After Naturalization Scandal

Indonesia Climb In Latest FIFA World Rankings

The FIFA world rankings updated on Saturday March 28 2026 show Indonesia moving up one place to 120th globally with 1148.70 points following their victory over St Kitts and Nevis in the FIFA Series tournament. The Garuda squad previously sat at 121st position and continue their gradual ascent under head coach John Herdman. Source: CNN Indonesia

Malaysia Suffer Steep Decline Due To Sanctions

In stark contrast Malaysia experienced a dramatic fall dropping 14 places from 121st to 135th in the same ranking update. The decline stems from sanctions imposed by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation following a document fraud scandal involving seven naturalized players in the national team setup.

CAS And AFC Rulings End Asian Cup Hopes

After the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld FIFA sanctions against the Football Association of Malaysia the AFC also applied penalties. Two Malaysia victories in 2027 Asian Cup qualifying matches were annulled and recorded as 0-3 defeats. As a result Malaysia have been eliminated from contention for the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

Indonesia Maintain Upward Momentum In World Football

The ranking improvement reflects Indonesia's growing consistency in international fixtures and successful integration of dual nationality players. With World Cup 2026 qualifying preparations ongoing the national federation views the progress as validation of their long term development strategy while Malaysia face a rebuilding phase amid administrative challenges.