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The Indian men’s football team fell to 133rd in FIFA rankings, its lowest in nine years, after losses to Thailand and Hong Kong.
Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri (PTI)
The Indian men’s football team has plummeted to its lowest ranking in nine years, falling six places to 133rd in the FIFA rankings released on Thursday, due to two losses in June.
India faced a 0-2 defeat to Thailand in an international friendly on June 4 and subsequently lost 0-1 to lower-ranked Hong Kong in an Asian Cup qualifying match. These results led to head coach Manolo Marquez parting ways with the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The last time India had a worse ranking was in December 2016 when they were placed at 135. India’s highest ever ranking was 94, achieved in February 1996.
The Indian team currently has 1113.22 rating points, down from 1132.03 previously. Among 46 Asian countries, India is ranked 24th, with Japan leading at 17th rank.
Nothing seems to be going right for the Indian men’s team. The loss to Hong Kong has complicated their efforts to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.
Under Marquez’s leadership, the team secured only one win from their last eight matches, with the sole victory against the Maldives in March.
This year, India has played four matches, winning one, drawing one, and losing two. These poor results prompted the return of former skipper and star striker Sunil Chhetri to the squad, but the team’s fortunes have not improved.
India’s next scheduled international match is an away fixture against Singapore in the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers in October.
Who Is World No. 1 In The Latest FIFA Ranking?
World champions Argentina lead the overall ranking of 210 countries, followed by Spain, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia.
Recent months have featured thrilling football action, including FIFA World Cup 26 qualifiers, confederation tournaments, and friendly matches. Over 200 national-team encounters have taken place globally since the last FIFA Men’s World Ranking, significantly impacting the standings.
At the top, Croatia has climbed one place to return to the top 10, displacing Italy (now 11th, down 2). Portugal (6th, up 1) and the Netherlands (7th, down 1) have swapped places, while Belgium remains 8th but now has Germany (9th, up 1) close behind. No changes have occurred at the summit, with FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 winners Argentina still in the lead, followed by Spain (2nd) and France (3rd), with England and Brazil completing the top five.
Both Concacaf Gold Cup finalists have moved up, with champions Mexico (13th, up 4) surpassing beaten finalists the United States (15th, up 1) as the region’s best-ranked team. Meanwhile, Senegal (18th, up 1) and Switzerland (19th, up 1) have secured spots in the top 20.
Several teams have climbed five places, including Norway (33rd), Paraguay (43rd), North Macedonia (62nd), and Zambia (83rd). However, Costa Rica (40th, up 14), this edition’s biggest climber, has outshone them all. While Costa Rica advanced to the Gold Cup quarter-finals, semi-finalists Honduras (66th, up 9) and Guatemala (100th, up 6) also made significant progress.
Asia has seen remarkable rises as well, with Indonesia (118th, up 5), Malaysia (125th, up 6), Hong Kong, China (147th, up 6), and Laos (185th, up 5) leading the way. Bermuda (162nd, up 6) and Grenada (167th, up 7) have made even more substantial gains.
Lastly, Canada (28th, up 2) and Kosovo (95th, up 2) deserve special mention. Both have continued to build on their April achievements, reaching their highest-ever rankings.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha… Read More
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