Malaysia's national football team, Harimau Malaya, has suffered a significant drop in the latest FIFA world rankings, falling 17 places to 138th globally. This decline follows a 3-1 defeat to Vietnam in their final 2027 Asian Cup qualifying match. The drop is one of the most dramatic for the team in recent years, leaving them with 1,086.22 points and placing them at their lowest position in over two decades. 

The ranking slump was compounded by a disciplinary decision from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The AFC chose to forfeit two of Malaysia's previous qualifying victories against Nepal and Vietnam last year after finding that the team had fielded ineligible heritage players whose registration documents contained inconsistencies. These matches, originally won by Malaysia, have now been recorded as 3-0 losses, severely impacting their total ranking points. 

In response to the crisis, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is facing calls for a complete overhaul. A meeting with FIFA representatives is expected to address the data on heritage players, while a new head coach for the national and under 23 squads is set to be announced shortly. The government has also urged FAM to implement comprehensive reforms to restore the team's standing in international football.