Indian football team set to face another downfall in upcoming FIFA Rankings

The official FIFA Rankings will be out on April 4 and this is where the Indian football team will stand.

The Indian football team is set to experience a further drop in FIFA rankings, falling two places to 122nd, marking its worst since 2017 when India was placed at the 129th spot. Igor Stimac’s side faced a one place drop after the draw against Afghanistan a few days back as well. The historical worst ranking was 173 in 2015.

This decline came as the result of a devastating loss to Ashley Westwood’s Afghanistan at home in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers tonight. The team faced its first loss against the Afghans since 2013, and the swords are hanging on Igor Stimac. The manager assured the fans of a comeback after the disappointing draw in the away fixture.

In the recent rankings, Indian lost 19.24 points from their previous total before this international window, and will now be positioned below the Lebanon side who will face a four-place drop to 121 after a 5-0 loss against Australia. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is all set to make a four-place jump upward to the 151st position after this result.

India's ranking tumbles! Can India climb back up again 👀#IndianFootball #INDAFG #fifawcqualifiers #IgorStimac #sunilchhetri pic.twitter.com/86WXd6CwI4

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) March 26, 2024

The Afghanistan side is going through a tough time, and the Indian football team was expected to collect maximum points to make it to the third round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. This result has come as a shock to the Indian football fraternity and the fans have even called it a disgrace. The manager has been put up to serious questions such as his tactics and team selection. Under Igor Stimac, India recently concluded their worst AFC Asian Cup campaign where they failed to score a goal.

Now after this dismal performance against a comparatively easier opponent, the chances of making it to the next round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers seem doubtful. If the team is able to churn out positive results against Kuwait and Qatar in June, things can go in favour of Croatian manager.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.