Malaysia finished as Southeast Asia’s highest-placed team at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, ending their campaign in 56th place despite a 2-0 defeat by Lebanon on Friday.
P. Maniam’s side lost the playoff for 55th place at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan, but still finished ahead of all 10 regional rivals and one place above England.
View this post on Instagram
Indonesia were the next-best Southeast Asian side in 72nd, followed by Thailand in 77th and Vietnam in 82nd.
Malaysia were the region’s only team to reach Tier B, which determined positions 33 to 64, after finishing second in Group H with three wins, one draw and one defeat.
Their group campaign included victories over Dominica, Syria and Ethiopia, earning them a place in the same tier as England.
Malaysia lost 6-2 to South Africa in their opening Tier B match before beating Jamaica 4-2 in the classification rounds.
Defeat by China and a penalty shootout loss to Qatar then left them facing Lebanon in their final match.
England, meanwhile, finished 57th after beating Bolivia 3-2, having also lost their first Tier B match to eventual tier winners Zambia.
The final placings reflect the tournament’s unusual format, which kept every team involved until the last day rather than sending them home after elimination.
Held from October 24-30, the competition brought together 189 teams for eight-a-side matches played over two 20-minute halves.
Initial group results divided the teams into six tiers, with further matches determining their final positions. The format was designed to give young players repeated international experience against a range of opponents.
Spain became the inaugural champions after beating Czechia 3-0 in the Tier A final at Baku Crystal Hall, while Zambia won Tier B with a 5-2 victory over Portugal.
Among the other Southeast Asian teams, the Philippines finished 110th and Myanmar 125th, followed by Singapore in 141st and Laos in 153rd.
Timor-Leste placed 173rd, Cambodia 185th and Brunei 187th.
