India, Oct 18 : Indian football endured a major setback as the men’s senior national team fell to 136th in the latest FIFA World Rankings their lowest position in nearly a decade, last seen in November 2016. The updated rankings, released on Friday, further dash India’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
Once hailed as a rising side after triumphs in the 2023 Intercontinental Cup, SAFF Championship, and Tri-Nation Series, India’s fortunes have sharply declined over the past year. The disappointment followed a poor AFC Asian Cup campaign in Qatar, where India exited in the group stage without scoring a goal in three matches.
Instability has plagued the national team, with three head coaches — Igor Štimac, Manolo Márquez, and Khalid Jamil — leading the side in under two years. While Jamil showed glimpses of tactical improvement during the CAFA Nations Cup, competitive match results have remained disappointing. India’s last competitive win came almost a year ago, a 1-0 victory over Kuwait in November 2023.
Globally, Spain retained the top spot in the FIFA men’s rankings, followed by World Cup champions Argentina and third-placed France. England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Belgium occupy positions four to eight. Germany climbed to 10th after back-to-back wins over Luxembourg and Northern Ireland, while 2018 runners up Croatia slipped to 11th following a draw with the Czech Republic.
These rankings will play a crucial role in determining seedings for the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup draw on December 5, with co-hosts the United States, Canada, and Mexico automatically included alongside the nine highest-ranked teams in the top-seed pot.