The Indian men’s football team had a big loss on Friday as they dropped to 136th place in the current FIFA World Rankings. This is their lowest position in almost nine years. India’s dreams of moving on to the continental tournament were crushed as they lost and drew to Singapore in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
The new FIFA ranking shows that India dropped two spots from 134th to 135th, putting them behind Kuwait (135th) and barely above Botswana (137th). India’s latest lower ranking was in October and November 2016, when they were 137th.
The best FIFA rating India has ever had is 94, which they got in February 1996, during one of the Blue Tigers’ best times on the world stage.
Singapore Matches Are Expensive
India dropped in the rankings after not doing well against Singapore in the third round of Asian Cup qualifying. India managed to get a point in their road encounter, even though they were outplayed for most of it, by drawing 1-1.
But in the home game in Margao on October 14, India lost to Singapore 1-2, which all but ruined their chances of qualifying. India’s ranking points also dropped because of the two bad outcomes in a row, which caused the most recent downturn.
The team has had trouble being consistent all year, and now they have to work on regaining their confidence before their next international games.
In the past
India’s recent dip is a concerning trend for a team that had shown potential under coach Igor Štimac, notably after winning the 2023 Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Championship. The most recent loss, on the other hand, shows how much more competitive Asia is becoming and how badly Indian football needs to make fundamental changes.
India can’t qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup anymore, thus the focus is now on rebuilding the team and fixing the tactical and developmental shortcomings that are still holding India back on the world stage.