India's fall in FIFA rankings continues; drop to 134th spot in latest edition

The Blue Tigers recently finished in third place in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025.

Indian Football Team have experienced a setback in the latest FIFA rankings as the Blue Tigers slide down a spot. They are now ranked 134, down from 133. The fans would have expected a surge in the rankings after a historic campaign in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, but things have panned out contrary to expectations.

The Blue Tigers, under the newly appointed head coach Khalid Jamil, finished in third place in their first-ever appearance in the 8-nation tournament. With some key players unavailable for the tournament and a short training camp, the third-place finish was an unprecedented result.

Also Read: Khalid Jamil announces 30-member probable squad for India camp for matches against Singapore

Draw against Afghanistan played spoilsport

The Indian team started their campaign in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 with a historic victory over the hosts, Tajikistan, in front of their own crowd. It’s their first win against Tajikistan in 17 years. The last time the Blue Tigers registered a positive result against Tajikistan was in 2008.

The Blue Tigers faced Iran in the second game, which resulted in a 3-0 defeat. The Khalid Jamil-led side punched above their weight in the contest, holding Iran to a 0-0 score line in the first half. Had the perseverance continued, India could have scripted yet another historic result. However, the relentless pressure from the Asian giants in the second half led to India conceding three goals.

The last group stage game against Afghanistan ended in a goalless stalemate. This result has played a role in India dropping in the FIFA rankings. A win against Afghanistan would have boosted their’s chances of making a jump in the rankings.

Win against Oman not factored in

The biggest result for India in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 was the win against Oman in the third-place match. The Blue Tigers won the match in penalties, clinching the Bronze medal. However, the result at the end of the regulation time was only considered for the rankings.

At the end of the regulation time, the score was 0-0, and all that went down in the penalties counted for nothing in terms of FIFA rankings. Had the win in penalties been factored in, India would have witnessed a substantial rise since Oman are much higher-ranked in the FIFA rankings.

Khalid Jamil would not focus on the drop in the FIFA rankings; rather, he would like to build upon the positives from the CAFA Nations Cup campaign. India punched above their weight in the competition with a relatively inexperienced side. The upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers would require similar outings from the Blue Tigers.

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