The AFF Cup 2024, also known as the ASEAN Championship, holds significant importance as it was officially recognized by FIFA as an "international A-level" tournament since 2016 and contributes to the world football rankings. However, due to the fact that the tournament does not take place during FIFA Days, the points system calculates the lowest points in the FIFA scoring system.

Unraveling the FIFA Rankings Dynamics of the AFF Cup 2024

Team Composition and Performance without National Team Players

The absence of national team players has made the Indonesian team appear ordinary at the AFF Cup. As shown in the Reuters photo, this has had an impact on their performance. With a low point system and a disparity in team positions, winning against teams with lower rankings does not result in a significant increase in points. For example, when the Indonesian team (ranked 125 in the world) drew 3-3 with the Lao team (ranked 186), they lost 1.11 points. On the other hand, when the head coach Shin Tae-yong's team won against the Myanmar team (ranked 167) with a score of 1-0, they gained 1.80 points. But after subtracting the points from the disastrous draw against Laos, the Indonesian team only managed to add a meager 0.69 points. As a result, after initially expecting to move up one place to rank 124 in the world, they returned to their original position (125), according to the football-ranking.com website.

Points System and Its Implications

In the AFF Cup, although the matches do not contribute a high number of points to the FIFA rankings, they still hold significance in the team's journey towards the goal of entering the top 100 in the world. For instance, the draw against Laos under unfavorable circumstances was considered a setback for coach Shin Tae-yong. The Vietnamese team, on the other hand, saw an increase of one place on the FIFA rankings to position 115 after winning 4-1 against the Lao team. In the next match, the Indonesian team traveled to Phu Tho to face the Vietnamese team at 8 pm on December 15. The Vietnamese team won the match against the Lao team with a score of 4-1 and gained 1.30 points, increasing their total points to 1.162.41 and moving up one place on the FIFA rankings. Meanwhile, the Thai team (ranked 97 in the world) won a historic 10-0 against Timor Leste in the AFF Cup 2024 and only gained 0.95 points. As Timor Leste is ranked 196 in the world, this small increase in points was not enough to improve their current position.