The new FIFA rankings have been released, and the Indian men’s national football team has dropped to 124th in the world, down three spots since the last update. This decline continues a downward trend since December of last year. India had previously broken into the top 100 with a peak ranking of 99 but has been sliding since. In Asia, India now ranks 22nd, behind countries like Lebanon, Palestine, and Vietnam.
Indian Football Team drop to 124 in latest FIFA rankings
India’s drop in rankings was anticipated due to their failure to advance to the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign. They finished third in their group, trailing Kuwait and Qatar. To progress, India needed to win at least one of their remaining two qualifying matches. However, they only managed a 0-0 draw against Kuwait in Kolkata and suffered a 2-1 defeat to Qatar away from home. These results led to a decrease in their points from 1146 to 1139.36.
Despite Kuwait advancing to the next round of qualifiers, they are ranked 135th. Afghanistan, another team in India’s group, currently sits at 151st. India failed to secure victories against Afghanistan in both encounters, losing one match 2-1, which significantly impacted their chances of reaching the next round.
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India head coach Igor Stimac sacked by AIFF
Following the team’s poor performance in recent matches, head coach Igor Stimac was dismissed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The AIFF stated, “Noting the disappointing outcome of the Senior Men’s National Team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign, the members unanimously agreed that a new Head Coach would be best placed to take the team forward.”
Stimac had been with the team for five years, a tenure marked by inconsistent performances. While he managed to win four trophies as head coach, he could not help the team progress in major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and the AFC Asian Cup. Under his leadership, India played 53 matches, winning 19, drawing 14, and losing 20.
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